Teasing Interest
by aznduddet
Summary: ON HIATUS! Celeste "Cici" Monroe is new to Bon Temps, and when she is dragged to a vampire bar called Fangtasia by one of her friends she meets Eric Northman. Eric is immediatly interested in Celeste and both begin to play a game of cat-and-mouse.
1. Chap 1: Meeting

**Chapter 1: Meeting**

It didn't take long for Celeste "Cici" Monroe to know where she was. The small town, country bumpkin welcoming sign, and the old couple on the porch sipping on ice cold glasses of sweet tea gave her location completely away. Bon Temp, Louisiana; a small town she couldn't find on a map but was only able to find via GPS. Celeste leaned closer to the windshield and looked around the strip of road she was going down and the small shops and houses that resided on it. People stared and looked at the unfamiliar car. A middle age man with a bad comb over and a mouth of dark and yellow teeth cracked his oval shaped head in her direction and chugged down a beer, a brand Celeste didn't recognize, in four gulps and smiled at her. She cringed in her seat and the grip on her steering wheel tightened as she quickly tried to remove the image from her memory. Celeste looked down at the orange post-it note she had on the dashboard and started looking for the address: 489 Larrysong Drive. Finally finding it, after looking for half an hour and stopping to ask for directions, she pulled into the large parking lot. She turned the key and pulled it out of the ignition and stepped out of her car; a 2011 silver and black Honda Civic. She stood before a mini Hilton Hotel. Except it wasn't a hotel, it was an apartment complex. It resided just out of Bon Temp borders completely isolated and alone, but since it was close to the town it was a part of it to everyone else. The outside walls were crème stucco and countless windows consumed the front. Blinds were drawn and a woman with a small child resting on her hip could be seen from the fifth floor balcony, her red hair blowing in the breeze. Celeste would be staying there until she saved up enough money to buy or rent out a house. She was never one to live her life in an apartment. She locked the car with a click of a button, a high pitched beep erupting from the engine while the lights flashed once, and went inside.

The entrance was decent, more or less. It wasn't extravagant and open like a Hilton Hotel, but it suited the atmosphere and culture of the town, simple but also a tinge of elegance and homey. To the right there was a sitting area with small tables and a few sofas, a large fireplace warmed the room and dark shadows danced across the polished surfaces of the wooden tables. To the left there were small coffee tables with a couch or two in the corner and the elevators and went to the other levels. Celeste went to the front desk.

"Hello Ma'am. How may I help you?" A man most likely in his mid-twenties, with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a facial structure similar to George Clooney, asked with a smile. He was mildly attractive compared to some of the other people she had seen in the town, and was probably as good as it was going to get. His nametag read Charlie, and needless to say, he was interested himself. He had never seen her before, but he was already starting to like what he was seeing. Her long, wavy dark chocolate hair cascaded down her shoulders and fell gently down her back, just barely grazing the small of it, her piercing hazel eyes, curvaceous figure, toned muscles, and modest breasts completely caught him off guard. Charlie couldn't focus on one part of her; at first he would look at her eyes, and then move down milky white skin till they landed at her breasts, until he sharply looked back in her eyes as if correcting himself.

"Hey, I called a few days ago, to rent one of the places here." Celeste said, not really sure of what to do.

"So I assume you're checking in. What is your name?" He turned to the black dell desktop next to him and started patting down the keyboard and clicking on the mouse, his eyes focused as he scanned the screen to get what he wanted.

"Celeste Monroe." She replied. Charlie quickly typed in her name and clicked on the mouse a few times.

"Here you are." He said, finally finding her file on the complex computer. "You're in room 306. Third floor. And since you're new here," He turned and grabbed the apartment key from a cabinet behind him and also collected a few pamphlets as well. He handed her key and a spare one and laid the pamphlets down in front of them. "We have an activity hall in the back, lot of games, movies, books, and a pool and poker table. There is a bar also in the back, completely separate from the kid area. If you want anything to eat or drink you can either go to the bar and order it or do room service. It's open from nine to twelve midnight Monday through Friday and 24 hours on weekends starting Friday night." Celeste nodded as he spoke, showing interest in some of the things he pointed out to her and grimacing at a few that did not sound appealing whatsoever.

"Cool." She collected the items Charlie had given her and tucked them under her arm once they had finished talking for a good ten minutes. "Is there anything else?" She asked. Charlie thought for a moment.

"Actually there is one more thing."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"No vampires allowed. They are strictly forbidden." He said with a stern expression and a pointed finger. Celeste nodded in affirmation and went to the elevators to check out her new space.

* * *

"What is that?" Celeste asked. It had been a little over a month since her arrival and the people and culture of Bon Temp was starting to grow on her slowly but surely. She had heard a whole bunch of talk about vampires and fangbangers, but never really cared much for it. She kept to herself and did whatever she wanted, for the most part anyway. Lucy, Celeste's new found friend, gasped. Her French manicured fingers covered her mouth and her emerald green eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"You don't know what Fangtasia is?" She asked in utter disbelief. Celeste innocently shook her head no. Lucy asked again if she was serious and Celeste seriously said she had no idea what it was. Lucy, seeing Celeste as an untainted child that knows nothing about the world, wrapper her arm over her shoulder the way a grandfather would do his grandson before he told him about his service in the Vietnam War; full of support and experience.

"Well I wouldn't really expect you to know about Fangtasia." Lucy started in a hushed tone. "I'd be kinda scared actually if you did know."

"Why?" Celeste looked a little ruffled the statement. As they walked down the street, minding their own business, the grip on Celeste's shoulder faintly tightened. Lucy thought before she answered the question.

"We don't get a lot of people here Cici, and it's not hard to imagine why." She gestured to a small barber shop across the street; through the windows the store was completely empty except for the hairstylists that were cleaning their combs and scissors and a man in the back with his legs perched on a desk and a newspaper in hand. Celeste nodded once she understood what Lucy meant. "But that doesn't mean there isn't any action." She continued with a smile. "Fangtasia is the only vampire bar, well decent one anyway, in all of Bon Temps. All the vampires go there and so do a few humans. I've been there once or twice."

"Have you ever been bitten?" Celeste asked out of curiosity.

"Nope." Lucy seemed proud of this as she jutted her jaw out and her pointed nose raised to the heavens. "I'm not into that kind of thing. I just go there for the drinks mainly; their bartender can make one hell of a sex on a beach." She said enthusiastically. "Maybe we should go tonight. I've been craving a good drink all day."

"Uh, I don't think so." Celeste said a little hesitantly, finally removing Lucy's arm from her shoulder.

"Why not? Don't you like vampires?"

"Actually I'm kinda neutral about them."

"Oh come on Cici. I need a buddy to go with me." Lucy replaced her arm on Celeste's shoulder. "I'll tell you what. How about you go with me tonight and really see what I'm talking about. And then tomorrow, we can do absolutely anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Lucy said.

"Even if I wanted to go on a road trip?" Celeste puckered her lips together searching Lucy's face. For a moment her face went blank and then she protested. Celeste reminded her that she said anything and Lucy quickly caved and said yes. Celeste didn't really want to go on a road trip, she just wanted to see what was outside of Bon Temp. They agreed to meet at Lucy's house around midnight.

* * *

Celeste was very hesitant to go inside once she had arrived at Fangtasia. She held dealt with vampires in the past, and it never turned out good. Now that she knew what was really going on, and what she getting herself into, doubts started to fill her mind like bees in a hive. Lucy latched onto her arm and dragged her through the front doors. At first glance, Celeste wasn't sure of what to expect. The walls were painted a crimson red, the bar jet black, the seats alternated red and black leather that would have only suited that environment. Pictures hung from the walls and dim lights illuminated the corners of booths were vampires and humans sat on red velvet cushions. Small tables with red seats dotted the black floor, and most of them were filled. Music filled her ears, a type she didn't recognize, but nonetheless was perfect for the setting. Celeste looked up and saw a female vampire with a leather outfit on dancing by a pole on the bar, one moment she would be moving normal to the human eye, then her moves would turn into blurs as she moved with speed in her hips. However, the one thing that really caught Celeste's eye was the stage in the far left of the room. Velvet curtains covered the walls and there were barely any lights except for a dim over head one that shown down onto the stage. However, as Celeste looked deeper into the light, struggling to catch a glimpse of the face hidden in the shadows, Lucy pulled her to the bar and pushed her down on one of seats.

"We'll have two sexes on the beach, please and thank you." Lucy said with a wicked grin to the bartender.

* * *

Hidden in a cloak of darkness, Eric Northman peered at the bar. As soon as the unfamiliar ladies leather black three inch boot stepped through the threshold, he had his eyes locked on her. He watched her as she sat at the bar, barely sipping on her sex on the beach. From this Eric could deduct that she wasn't much of a drinking woman. Her face was barely turned to her friends and as she smiled he noticed plush lips under a light coat of lip gloss that was slowly beginning to fade. Her neck elongated as she sat properly in her seat, her spine straitening and long hair moving slightly in the sudden movement. Eric adjusted in his seat. His eyes slowly began to move down, as if on the prowl in search of prey. Her muscles twitched under fragile skin as she brought the glass to her lips, faintly drinking the cold, sweet liquid that overwhelmed her senses. He watched her chest rise and fall slowly for a moment, then moved on to travel the unfamiliar territory of the rest of her body.

As Eric watched the rest of her, he took note of the clothes she wore, which accented her already beautifully hidden body. The stranger wore an aqua marine blouse the tied around her neck, left her shoulders bare, tightened against her breasts, and scrunched up at the waist. Slim black jeans fitted her legs and the familiar black boots trekked up her legs, ending just below her knees. Her attire was revealing, almost teasing to Eric, but also formal and well put together. The stranger he watched so intently was not in any way shape or form a fangbanger. Soon, he started to wonder why he hadn't seen her and most importantly, why she had never been in his bed. He gestured for Pam and she diligently came to his side.

"Yes Eric." She said, her head slightly bowing.

"Who is that little treat right there?" Pam looked in the direction his gaze went and was not impressed at the sight her Maker had his eyes on.

"I believe that is the newest arrival to Bon Temps."

"Really?" Eric said with curiosity in his voice. "Bring her over." Pam nodded.

* * *

"I know right." Lucy said. "At first I didn't believe it, but now . . . I'm not to sure." She hid a giggle behind her fingers and looked pass Celeste. "Cici, you are not going to believe this, but that guy has been looking at you all night." Lucy gestured with a finger in the direction he was in. Celeste took a quick glance over her shoulder, brushing her hair to the side. In the car corner of the room, sitting in a booth, she saw a man staring intently at her. She quickly looked away.

"No he hasn't." She lied. Celeste knew that he actually had been staring at her all night, and it made her very uncomfortable. But she also knew that he was a vampire, which made her even doubly uncomfortable. She knew it was a bad idea to go with Lucy to an all vampire bar, and at the moment she started to regret it.

"Oh mi goodness. He's coming over. He is totally coming over." Lucy was nearly bouncing in her seat. Celeste only shook her head no.

"No he isn't. He's not coming over." She said matter-of-factly. Lucy stopped moving around and only sat in her seat on the verge of hyperventilating. Celeste traced her finger around the rim of the glass nonchalantly, blocking the fact that a vampire was standing next to her.

"Hey." He said, his voice was husky and throaty, much like a lumberjacks would be. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing here?" Celeste turned in her seat to face the vampire. Her face was soft and fixed at the same time. He wasn't what she expected; his face was smooth and his eyes sparkled. His hair was light brown, short, and spiked. He had one of those pretty boy faces, that made him almost irresistible, but still, the fact that he was a vampire did not leave her mind for even the briefest second.

"Only having a drink with a friend." She replied, lifting her glass to her lips and finishing off the drink slowly, as if emphasis her point.

"I'm Nathan." He said as she finished her drink.

"Hey Nathan."

"Could I buy you another one?" His ego started to show as he waved to the bartender and asked for another one. A new sex on the beach was presented to her almost immediately. He smirked as Celeste took a small sip of the new drink, seeing that it was only courteous to do so. "What's your name?"

"Amanda." Celeste lied. Lucy made a notion to object but Celeste quickly stared her down. Lucy took the hint and kept her mouth shut.

"Amanda? I knew a girl named Amanda. Her hair was like silk, her body as hard and rugged as the mountains, and her blood; mouthwatering." Suddenly, Celeste felt her body tingle, as if something was crawling all over her and tickling her skin. Nathan leaned in closer and placed a hand on her thigh.

"You're alright Amanda, everything is just fine." He said in a soothing voice. "I would like to have your company for the evening. Would that be alright?" He asked. Celeste felt the sensation increase as Nathan continued. Nathan's lips slowly began to turn up and his eyes were fixed on hers. The hand on her thigh slowly rubbed back and forth. He was trying to get her familiar with him, to become used to his touch. He said he would take her safely home and that she had nothing to worry about. That they were going to have a pleasant evening together and she would enjoy herself very much. However, he was cut off when she leaned in close to him.

"Are you trying to Glamour me?" Celeste asked. Nathan jerked back. At that moment, a woman went to Celeste's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. She told him to leave and he obediently did.

"Please come with me." Pam lifted Celeste up before she could refuse and brought her to the stage hidden in darkness that she had been so curious about earlier. She looked back at the bar to see Lucy sweet talking a man next to her, whom Celeste was happy to find out, was human. However, her attention suddenly turned to the man that she had tried so hard to see in the darkness once she and her companion had arrived. His blonde hair was slicked back and parted one way, his skin deathly pale, caught her off guard. His clouded green eyes pierced her, causing Celeste to feel the same emotions that overwhelmed her earlier; wonder, curiosity . . . fear. The stranger that sat before her was the first to speak.

"I haven't seen you here before." His tone was nonchalant but had a hint of menace to frighten Celeste. She didn't take this fact to kindly.

"Well I wouldn't see why anyone would. I don't usually hang around in places like this."

"Vampire bars." Eric said, completing the implied statement.

"Exactly." Celeste arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We don't take kindly to humans coming to are territory if they only wish to insult us." Eric leaned back in his seat and gave her a once-over. There was a moment of silence between the two. It wasn't awkward or strange at all: both tried to figure each other out. Celeste could see that he was different from the other ones. Obviously he held position, but what kind she did not know. He had summoned her which meant that he had power and was respected by many. She quickly tried to connect the dots and eventually came to realize that he was a sheriff. Celeste smirked and relaxed a little bit more, not feeling as challenged anymore. However, this did not leave Eric's watchful gaze. Her arms fell to her side and noticed her shoulders relax. _She is warming up to me already_, he thought. He leaned forward in his seat, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together.

"Take a seat." He gestured to the chair next to him. Celeste was hesitant but eventually, and carefully, sat next to him, crossing her legs. "You're new to Bon Temps, so I'll let you go this once." The corner of his mouth curved into a faint smirk, but quickly disappeared. "That vampire over there," he pointed to the one that tried to Glamour Celeste and looked back at her. "He tried to Glamour you, did he not?"

Celeste looked at the vampire from earlier. "He tried to." She said with a smirk, recalling the expression he had once he realized he had, for some unknown reason, failed.

"And you resisted. I only know of one person that can do that." Eric contemplated these bits of information. "What is your name?"

"I'm sorry." Celeste stood up. "I don't tell strangers."

"Vampires." He finished her implied sentence again.

"Exactly." She went back to the bar, grabbed Lucy and both left.

* * *

Eric called Pam back over once the human had left.

"Yes Eric?" She asked. Eric pointed to the door.

"I want you to find anything you can on her. I want you to watch the bar too, I'm going out for a while."

"Don't tell me you're going to follow that human." She replied with an exasperated breath. Eric glanced at her over his shoulder as he stood up. So what if he was going to follow her? He had less than a five minute conversation and he had more questions than answers. He was curious about the new human he had met that reminded him so much of Sookie Stackhouse. Eric pulled on his black leather jacket the hung over the arm rest and followed quickly and quietly behind his new interest.


	2. Chap 2: First Taste

**A/N:** Hey, a new chapter is out. Hope you guys like it. I would like to thank everyone that reviewd and would very much appreciate it if you continued to. So umm yeah, thanks again and I hope you like it!

**Chapter 2: First Taste**

"So, you wanna tell me what happened between you and Mr. Eric Northman!" Lucy said with a giddy laugh. Apparently Lucy had her share of a bit too many drinks. She wobbled as she walked up her driveway, putting most of her weight against Celeste's shoulder. Her breath smelt like sugar and vodka and her eyes glazed over every now and then. Lucy twirled the little Hawaiian umbrella from the drink between her forefinger and thumb, completely amazed by the colors as they mixed together.

"That's his name? Eric Northman?" Celeste struggled out as she nearly tripped over her friends numb foot.

"Mr. Hottie is more like it." Celeste leaned Lucy against the door as she shuffled through her purse to find the keys. "I would love to get me a piece of that fine ass." She giggled while childishly biting her lip. Celeste found the keys and quickly unlocked the door and went inside, placing Lucy back on her shoulder. She fought against the odds to get her drunken friend up a flight of stairs that seemed to never end. But once she found the bedroom, Celeste threw her friend on the bed. Celeste grabbed a hold of one of Lucy's feet and tried to take her shoes off. Lucy, however, didn't care for it. She quickly leaned up and tickled Celeste with all the energy she had, digging her nails by Celeste's ribs and ravaging it with tickles. Celeste fought back laughs as she collected Lucy's hands in her, whom was laughing insanely, and finished taking the shoes off. That seemed to be the last bit of energy Lucy had: her eyes closed and her body fell limp. In a matter of seconds heavy breathing was the only sound that filled the room. Celeste smiled as she pushed her friend under the purple leopard print blanket. She put the lights out, closed the door, and quickly left the house, locking the front door behind her. She placed the keys in her pocket and smirked.

When Celeste arrived at her apartment it was nearly empty. No one sat in the lounge or by the fireplace in the front. The only noise that could be heard was in the far back by the kid area, where a few played games and pool. She waved to Charlie, who seemed to stop breathing and almost too enthusiastically waved back. She punched the up arrow on the elevator door and in a few minutes it came whirling down and heaved to a stop. With a ding, the doors opened and Celeste entered, pressing the number three.

Once she arrived at her room, she quickly entered and flopped on the couch. It was always a trying and hard day when it came to spending time with Lucy, however, she was the only real friend Celeste had. They accompanied each other on many different occasions and sometimes grew tired of each other; nonetheless, it did not keep them apart for too long. Celeste was just happy that it was not a one sided relationship. Without warning, Celeste burst out in laughter, muffling the chuckles of joy with a throw pillow on her white fake-fur sofa. After a few minutes of recovering, her face red from her momentary break-down, she retired to her bedroom.

Deciding to take a shower, she entered her bathroom and put the water on, testing the temperature with her fingers. The water was hot, very hot, but Celeste liked the way it felt after a difficult day. Not to mention the steam helped clean out her sinuses and she felt much better, much healthier, after taking one. She closed the shower curtain to keep the steam inside the shower and started to undress.

* * * *

Eric had carefully followed behind his new interest. He watched her as she dropped her friend off at her house and took care of her before exiting to go to her home. Eric looked at the apartment complex and smirked. For a split second, in the back of him mind, he began to think that she had chosen such a building that forbade vampires from entering for that specific situation. But Eric was the Sheriff of Area 5, and he was over a thousand years old. Over the years of observing humans and learning their ways, he had come across a lot of information. The most important was that they were very easy to manipulate. For Eric, just because he was not allowed to enter, it didn't mean that would stop him. He could glamour a few people, or use his speed to get past the cameras and the people, or he could simply kill everyone until he got what he wanted, but Eric wasn't that ruthless or coldblooded. He watched her as she entered the building, waving to the man at the front desk who quivered in desire. Something began to build inside Eric as the man waved back and looked at the woman with such an obvious longing, he was surprised she didn't say anything about it.

From where Eric stood just outside the glass doors, he looked for a staircase. He knew that if he took the elevator he would be caught on camera, but if he took the stairs he would run past them so fast no one in security would know that a vampire had breached their facility. He wasn't doing this because he didn't want to get caught or cause a few unnecessary deaths. It was actually the opposite. It was the fact that no vampires were allowed and if he was caught with his secret woman, it would cause more trouble for her than him. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up leaving Bon Temps because he made a stupid and unthoughtful decision. Eric quickly found the staircase; it was in the far left in the back next to what appeared to be a bar. The glass double doors opened as his foot stepped into the threshold, and that was his chance. The man at the front desk was looking down and Eric went straight to the back door. He dashed up the stairs and went to the third floor; he knew it was the third because he saw the elevator numbers stop there when the woman went in.

Eric stood at the end of the hall, trying to grasp a hint of her scent. He couldn't forget for the life of him, if that's what it was, what she smelt like. Her scent was a mix of vanilla with chamomile and earth, something that made for a strange combination but was completely intoxicating to his senses. Eric located her room almost immediately, room 306. He knocked and waited for a moment, anticipation burning deep inside him. No one answered. He thought for a moment_, she has to have a window. _He quickly returned to the outside and looked for her scent to find which windows were hers. When he finally found them he flew up next to them, all of the blinds were open. Eric had the perfect view into her house and all her lights were on. He glanced into the living room but she was nowhere to be seen. He could hear water running and went to another window, which just so happened to look into her bathroom. Eric smirked with satisfaction at the sight of her. He had found who he was looking for. He looked at her from the left corner of the window, the light barely showing on his face. The woman's back face him and the shower was directly next to him. She leaned over the double sink counter and rubbed her hands across her face. Eric watched her as she pulled a few pins out of her hair that kept it out of face. She placed her hair over her shoulder as she undid the knot of the blouse behind her neck. The straps fell down her back and she pulled it in front of her, lifting the shirt over her head. Eric was aside himself with lust and desire. Her body was much better than he had imagined and was half torn between breaking through the window and destroying her clothes and crashing through her front door and throwing her on the bed. Her breasts were covered by a tan strapless bra that Eric wished would fall down at that exact moment. The woman unclipped it from behind and was about to throw it aside until suddenly, the phone rang. Eric nearly cursed himself in frustration. The woman wrapped a silk robe around her before discarding her bra with the blouse which lay on the floor. She exited the bathroom. Eric finally took this chance.

* * * *

"Hello?" Celeste asked into the receiver.

"Cici?" It was Lucy, the supposedly knocked-out friend.

"Lucy?" Celeste said in surprise. "What are you doing up?"

"I don't know. I had to pee really bad and then I got the munchies. I could really go for nachos right now. Have you seen my keys?"

"I have them. I'm gonna drive to your house tomorrow and we'll just hang out or whatever."

"Oh." Celeste could hear Lucy scratching her head. She knew that Lucy would go out to get nachos if she returned the keys to her. "Well, then I'll just go back to bed then." They said their goodbye's and Celeste put the phone on the hook. She was just about to return to the bathroom when her doorbell rang. "What the hell?" Celeste wrapped her robe tighter around her and looked at the time on the microwave. It was just past three a.m.

"Who is it?" She asked against the door.

"Room service."

"Room service? I didn't order anything." She opened the door and immediately felt stupid. Eric Northman stood before her with his hands in his pant pockets. "You." Celeste said with a harsh tone.

"Me. Were you expecting someone else? Maybe that guy at the front desk?" He said with a smirk.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"You."

"I don't think so." She said with all seriousness. Celeste could feel Eric's eyes on her and eventually landed on her breasts, which were almost visible through the white translucent robe. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Eric.

"I have some business to settle with you." Eric leaned against the front door, his body completely blocking the threshold. He stared down at her and inhaled her scent. He was wrong. She also smelt of cinnamon and mangos. How exotic of her.

"No you don't." She arched an eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact I do. You didn't tell me your name or how you resisted the vampire that glamoured you."

"Tried to glamour me." She corrected.

"And that's what I need to know. Why he failed. I would very much appreciate it if you invited me in so we could settle this matter." He said. Celeste thought a moment. Any smart person would have said no immediately. That's not to say she wasn't smart, she was. However, it was the fact that she had a little ability, a gift so to say, that made inviting Eric Northman in so appealing. She smirked at herself but quickly hid it.

"Would you like to come in?" She said with a wicked grin. Eric looked at her for a moment, thinking that it was almost too easy that she would invite him in. He said yes and entered. Once the door was closed Celeste told him to take a seat. He sat in a single white fur seat and looked intently at Celeste, whom sat directly across from him.

"What is your name?" The question had been nagging at Eric for the longest time, and he couldn't bear not to know any longer.

"Christina." Celeste lied again. However, nothing got by the cunning vampire.

"No it's not." He said sternly. "It would make things much easier if you stayed honest with me as I have been with you."

"What makes you think I believe you?"

"Have I given you reason to doubt me yet?" He asked, the corner of his lips curving up only a little. Celeste thought about this. No matter how much she thought about it or looked at it from different angles, he had no ulterior motives. She gave him a scrutinizing look, analyzing everything about him from the glint in his eyes to the way he positioned himself in the seat.

"Celeste." She said finally. "And you're Eric Northman." A grinned flashed on his lips but quickly disappeared.

"Celeste?" He said the name slowly, testing it out. She noticed the way her name rolled off his tongue and felt a shiver of something . . . pleasure maybe, tingling through her body. "I'm impressed." He said while standing up. "You know my name, so you must have given me some thought since we met earlier this evening."

"Don't flatter yourself." Celeste stood up, the only thing separating them a small rectangular coffee table. Eric slowly and carefully took a few steps around the length, his eyes locked on hers.

"I am sorry if I interrupted you from any prior engagements." Eric said while quickly glancing down at Celeste. He vividly remembered her appearance in the bathroom. Her bare and naked skin that was completely flawless and smooth to his eyes. Eric had only seen the bare of her back, but even that was too much of a tease for him. He stepped in front of her, only a few inches of empty air separating them.

"Actually you did." Celeste tilted her head to the side. "Now why don't you ask me what you want to know so I can continue going about my business." Eric licked his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. He pushed back a stray hair in her face behind her ear, his knuckles grazing her cheek.

"How is it that I have not laid eyes on you until now?" He looked her once-over again, his desire and arousal growing by the second. Celeste wasn't sure of what to say. She had already made it quite clear that she didn't hang out with vampires and knew that he was also asking a rhetorical question. The knuckles that pressed against her cheek unraveled as Eric carefully, and almost hesitantly, rested his palm against it. The skin was soft under his palms and fingers. His senses where overwhelmed as he took in a deep breath, fogging his mind. Celeste's skin was warm and Eric could feel the heat to some extent warm his cold hand. He stepped closer to her, sneaking his other hand around her waist and moving the one on her cheek down to her neck. Her back arched and head tilted back. To any bystander it would have looked like Eric was about to bite her, but for both of them it was different. Celeste's heart raced in her chest and her breathing came out in irregular patterns. Her body was limp like a ragdoll and completely relaxed. Eric, on the other hand, was in complete control. His breathing came in slow and long breaths, and his body was hard and rigid against hers.

However, as quickly as the moment came, it left. Celeste brought her hand up to Eric's chest and forced him away, causing him to bump into the coffee table. She adjusted her robe again and went to the door, opening it for him to leave.

"You need to go." She said in complete earnest. Eric looked at her for a moment, thinking about what just happened. Celeste had pushed him away, harshly and with a lot of force. He thought about the other woman that had pushed him away so many times before, but none had ever made him move. In the past, woman tried hard to beat him and make him step back but he never moved; not even a flinch. Celeste had managed to not only move him, but to forcefully push him away to almost cause him to fall.

"That vampire tried to glamour you today," He said with complete seriousness in his voice. "How did you resist him?"

"I'm not at liberty to say." She said with a smirk. Eric grabbed the side of the door and slammed it closed, the loud BANG reverberating through the hallways.

"Tell me how you resisted his ability." His voice rose in anger, not enough to scare her, but just enough to intimidate her and show her how serious he was. Celeste found this amusing. Eric was trying to scare her into telling him what he wanted to know, but there was nothing he could do to hurt her. She smirked at him and walked away to her bedroom. Eric diligently followed and grabbed her wrist in his hand and flung her around. For some odd reason, Celeste laughed at him as he held her body close to his, clutching her small wrist in his large hand.

"What are you going to do Eric? Force it out of me?"

"I will do much more than that." Eric lifted her over his shoulder and quickly moved to the bedroom, which was very easy to find. He threw her on the bed and used his speed to close the door and return to her within the blink of an eye. She laughed even harder as he stood in front of her. Celeste perched herself on her elbows and looked at him. She could see the arousal in his pants and gave him a sexy grin that would have thrown any other man overboard. Eric only became harder. He quickly went down on her, pressing his body against hers. His lips latched onto her immediately and he did not wait for her to open her mouth when his tongue quickly penetrated her, moving and probing as her tongue moved against his. One of his hands slid down to her thigh and hitched it over his hip, the other slid behind her neck, deepening the kiss even more. A growl erupted from his chest as his arousal rubbed against her sensitive spot. Eric was enraged with desire. He loved the feel of Celeste's hands rubbing up and down his chest under his shirt, the feel of her nails scrapping at his back. Everything about her was intoxicating, yet it still wasn't enough.

Eric wrapped her other leg around his hip and lifted her up, setting her down on his lap as he leaned back. His hands moved and traveled over every part of her, first they would be holding tightly to her hips, then squeezing her ass and moving to her neck to bring her closer to him. Eric set her back down on the bed and separated their lips so he could remove his shirt. However, when he came back down to her, he was suddenly thrown back. Eric immediately recovered himself and went after her again only to find her impenetrable. Celeste sat up on her bed, her legs tucked under her butt, giggling. She watched as Eric tried, after trial and error, to get to her. He stood in front of her, anger written all over his face.

"What is this?" He hissed.

"What's what?' She stifled a laugh. Eric moved toward her again, instead of using his entire body to get to her he moved his hand in her direction. At first it was just open air, but when he was a few inches away from feeling the warmth of her flesh against his hand, a hard surface pressed against his fingers. His brows furrowed and his forehead scrunched together. Eric ran his fingers over the invisible surface, first only using his finger tips, then using his hands. He looked at Celeste, whom was observing him intently with a smirk on her face. He continued to rub his hand over the surface.

"It's a force field. An invisible one." Celeste said as if it explained everything. Eric looked at her, his expression confused and conflicted. Eric wasn't sure of what to say. His thoughts were quick and mashed together. So many emotions were going through his head that he couldn't comprehend everything at that exact moment. Celeste leaned closer to him and the field moved with her, Eric was pushed back momentarily. "It's how I resisted." She continued. "It not only protects my body but also my mind."

"This is very interesting." Eric stood up and put his shirt back on. "What an intriguing gift you have. I most certainly would like to get to learn more about it." He reached out a curious hand to touch it again, his fingers pressed against it. "Now it seems that I will have some other use for you, other than trying to get you in my bed." He looked at Celeste with a smirk and a devilish spark in his eye.

"How do you think you will do that? You can't touch me." She pushed him back with her field to prove her point.

"I will make you want me. I'll make you dream about me touching you. You won't be able to stand in my presence without being dripping wet. You will yield to me, and when you do, I won't stop, even if you beg me too." Eric leaned closer to her, pressing his body against the field.

"Mmhm, sounds like fun. But not before I make you go insane with desire for me." Celeste leaned into Eric, dropping the field down. "I'll make you want no one else and detest other women." She slid her body onto his lap; Eric instantly grabbed her waist in his hands and held her there. Her hands looped around his neck and clutched his hair. Celeste pressed her body against his; Eric struggled to control himself, his breathing turning heavy and harsh with lust. "I'll make you come at the sound of my voice. I'll torture you until you beg for release. Is that what you really want Eric?" Celeste's voice was pure sex and Eric liked it. Their lips barely touched and both could feel the others breathe against their lips. Celeste could feel Eric's arousal against her thighs and slowly slid back and forth against it. Eric hissed and bit down on her lip.

"Don't." His voice was hard and rugged. He felt like he was about to explode as the friction built inside him to the point where it was almost unbearable.

"Don't worry, I wont." Celeste whispered in his ear, carefully licking a trail down to his neck then back up to his ear. "This is what it's going to come down to Eric. This is what it's going to be like from now on. Teasing you and making you want it." She looked in his eyes and continued to slide back and forth against his arousal. Eric growled behind clenched teeth. He knew that at any moment she could and would put the field back up, and he would be worse off and maybe even more turned on than before.

"Fuck." He hissed. Celeste smirked and grazed her lips against his, pulling back before he could catch her lips between his teeth and make-out. She pulled away and put her field back up. She knew she was going to have a lot of fun with Eric Northman. She had a lot more self control than he did. Eric leaned back once Celeste removed herself from him. He knew he had to win. He was known for making women get down on their hands and knees and beg him to please them until they died; he had a reputation to protect. If he let one woman get under his skin and control him, it would ruin him and only lead to more women thinking they could do the same. Eric clenched his fists together to keep from pouncing Celeste then and there. He decided to leave without saying another word, afraid that his husky voice would betray him. He went to the bathroom, opened the window and jumped out. He looked back at the window before using his speed to quickly leave the scene.

Eric smirked as he dashed and ran through the streets in the late night. He thought of ways to get Celeste in his bed as he returned to Fangtasia. He was going to have fun messing with Celeste, teasing her into submission. Eric Northman had a new interest, a Teasing Interest.


	3. Chap 3: Person of Interest

**A/N: **I would like to thank everyone that reviewed and showed their support. I really appreciate it. I hope you like this one, and if you don't then I'm sorry. I'll try harder on the next one.

**Chapter 3: Person of Interest**

"What do you know about her?" Days had passed since Eric's encounter with Celeste at Fangtasia and in her home. He could still taste the sweetness of her skin in his mouth and his hands buzzed from the sensation of touching her. Celeste had been on his mind nonstop. Even when he slept, Eric would awaken with a strong desire and urge that drove him on the verge of madness. His appetite for her had not been satisfied and the hunger that lingered over him ceased to vanish. However, Eric found momentary release from his uncontrollable suffering from humans that happily and willingly threw themselves at him. Sometimes there would be three or four women in his bed, but the gnawing desire would only increase and he would find other women to (hopefully) fill his insatiable appetite. Eric cursed himself for lacking self-control and letting Celeste have the horrible effect on him. Fangtasia was still buzzing with people when Pam sat down next to him to tell him what he wanted to know.

"Her name is Celeste Isabelle Monroe." Pam started in monotone, showing no interest whatsoever in the topic at hand. "She is twenty-four, currently works as a bartender at a bar outside of Bon Temps called Henry's Grill. Very popular place when it comes to sports and karaoke."

"What else?" Eric tapped his fingers on the wooden arm rest and scoped out the area, hoping that a familiar person that had made him feel distressed and empty would come in.

"Her parents died in a car crash when she was nine. Went from orphanage to orphanage until she finally settled with her uncle when she was sixteen, She lived in Montana during this time. When she came of legal age she moved to New York City and shared an apartment with a friend. After that, her record gets a little more interesting." Pam said with a smirk, leaning closer to Eric.

"Tell me." However, just before Pam was about to speak, a familiar face walked in. The corner of his lip turned up in a grin.

"This better be good Eric. I only have fifteen minutes until I have to go back to Merlottes." Sookie placed her hands on her hips. Eric always liked seeing Sookie Stackhouse in her uniform. The tight fitting white shirt with the Merlottes logo on it starched across her breasts, making them looks firmer and bigger. The tan shorts also did amazing things to her ass and legs.

"I have a job I would like you to do." He waited for her response and when she did say anything he continued. "The incident with Longshadow made me . . . curious, about how my other businesses are being run and how the finances are being handled. Especially since I am not there personally to deal with them. I would like you to attend meetings with me and listen in on my employees. Of course you will be graciously compensated. "

"Am I going to be attacked again?"

"Of course not. You will be with me the entire time." Eric said this with a smirk.

"Well Bill's coming with me then."

"No, he isn't. I can't have another incident like last time happening." Eric recalled Bill killing Longshadow in his presence and the results of his actions. Bills affection for Sookie clouded his judgment and made him irrational. He would kill every man, woman, and child if it meant keeping is beloved safe.

"Well then you can forget it." Sookie turned on her heel and walked out of Fangtasia. Eric sank deeper into his seat. He knew that Sookie would never go without Bill, but if he presented her with the next best thing then he could most certainly persuade her to agree with him. Eric got up from his seat.

"Pam, where is that bar at?"

* * *

Celeste put the twelve shot glasses on the table and grabbed the Tequila and Scotch. She had no idea why the overly large group of thugs wanted Tequila with Scotch, last she checked it made a horrible combination. She crossed the spouts of the drinks to make an X and quickly filled the dozen glasses in a row with one quick sweep. The men greedily took their drinks and gulped them down in one go, yelling and thumping chests. They banged the shots on the table and yelled for more.

"Okay, okay!" Celeste yelled above their drivel. She quickly filled their glasses and slapped her hands on the table and told them to pay twenty-four bucks before moving to the next customer at the bar before the gang could yell at her again. "What can I get you?"

"A dirty margarita." Said a woman.

"How dirty you want it?" Celeste yelled over her shoulder as she started to prepare the drink by the cabinet where all the liquor was.

"Filthy." The woman replied. Celeste stifled a laugh and presented the woman with her filthy margarita.

"That's five bucks even." The woman pulled one out of her pocket and gave it to Celeste. For some reason the bar was really busy. Celeste could barely get a moments breath as the customers rolled in one after the other, and to her dismay, in large groups. But there was supposedly a huge sports event. Football and other sports were coming to a close as the season came to an end. The bar was crowded and there was only one other person working with her, Lucy. Who was drinking more than she was making actual drinks.

"Having fun?" Celeste asked as she switched a few bottles with Lucy's and filled a cup with ice.

"Totally, it never gets like this." She said with a huge grin.

"Well you can count on a huge paycheck at the end of the week." Both shared quick silent glances with each other and burst out in laughter, continuing to prepare the drinks they had forgotten about. Celeste ran to the other end of the bar and handed a man his drink and took different orders at once. She was working on five drinks a once when another customer moved up to the bar.

"Hey, welcome to Henry's Grill, what can I get you?" She said while focusing on the drink she had at hand.

"How about you and I get out of here and head back to your place to finish what we started." The man said in a low, but husky whisper. Celeste laughed.

"You're funny. Seriously what do you want?" She pulled a bottle out from under the counter and poured a warm brown liquid into a shot glass, sliding it down to the customer on Lucy's end.

"You." He placed his hands on the counter in front of her; however, she didn't seem to notice. She handed the last few drinks out that she had.

"It seems to me you've had a few too many drinks already." She said with a grin. Celeste looked up at the man and her breath hitched in her throat. "What are you doing here?" Celeste wiped her hand on the black apron around her waist. At the sight of him, her mind immediately went to what happened in her bedroom sometime ago.

Eric leaned over on the counter and gave her an once-over. "You look absolutely delicious. But I prefer what you had on the other night; much easier to take off."

"Really?" Celeste grabbed a rag from under the counter and started to wipe it down. "Maybe it would be easier to take off; then again, you'd still have to get your hands on me." She said in a teasing tone.

"I will. Don't doubt that." Eric leaned in closer and grazed his forefinger against her chin. "You're already getting used to my touch." Celeste leaned in closer, their lips barely touching.

"What do you want Eric?" Celeste nipped his bottom lip with her teeth, pulling away before Eric could pull her in closer. She threw the rag back under the counter and waited for him to answer.

"I need a favor." Eric leaned over the counter and focused wholly on her. Unfortunately for him, she was so busy that she couldn't focus on him. He watched her as Celeste focused on making the drinks and passing them to customers. She quickly collected the money and stuffed it in the already filled pockets in her apron.

"You need a favor? Does it involve some heavy touching?" She said with a smirk, giving him a quick glance.

"Sadly no. I know how disappointed you must be." Eric leaned in closer to her; he took in a deep breath and inhaled her scent, locking it away in his memory. He was about to continue telling her about the favor needed when suddenly to men went behind the bar.

"Where the hell have you been?" Celeste yelled, giving them her full attention. She placed her hands on her hips and waited for them. Eric looked at them too. They were completely disorganized and apologized countless times to Celeste. They fumbled under the counter and quickly wrapped the black aprons around their waists. One of them quickly passed by her and went next to Lucy.

"Where have you been Josh?" Celeste yelled at him while she prepared a few beers.

"I'm sorry Cici! I had to take my friend to the airport."

"I don't care! You were supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago! Lucy and I have been working nonstop for the past two hours." She yelled in his direction again. Eric watched Celeste as she scolded . . . Josh.

"Sorry. I had to get some things done."

"So a phone call would have been asking too much from you Josh?" Celeste slid the beers down the table and took the money, shoving it into her apron. Josh shook his head and continued taking orders and making drinks. "I'm getting sick of your bullshit Josh, I really am."

"Yeah well I'm getting sick of you too Cici." He slid a bottle in her direction and she put it under the counter.

"Do you really want to do this now?" She asked in a patronizing tone. Josh looked at her and scuffed. "I'm serious Josh. You're always late and dicking around. And it's pissing me off. You fuck up one more time I swear to God I'll go to Henry." With that, the conversation came to an awkward and abrupt conclusion. Celeste let out a deep breath and wiped down the counter. Eric stared at her for a moment. He had only seen a few sides of her, she was kind and caring, had a sense of humor, and most of all was a tease and very tempting. Eric wanted to learn more about her and with Pam informing him of her past, he would figure her out very quickly . . . or so he thought. He liked what he saw though. Watching Celeste scold her fellow human and get heated up with anger and frustration was stimulating and exciting to Eric.

"I like seeing you angry." He said. Celeste looked at him and sighed. She had forgotten that he was still there.

"You're not the first to say that." She shrugged her shoulder and removed her apron, going around the bar to Eric's side. Celeste walked past him and went to the back and returned with a large container. Eric went to her side and spoke as she cleared down a few tables and wiped them down, placing the dirty dishes in the container.

"I still have a favor to ask of you."

"Eric I'm busy as you can see. Come by some other time." Celeste grabbed the container and returned to the back, Eric quick on her heels. She entered the kitchen, set the container next to the sink and came back to see Eric waiting for her. He grabbed her hand and went out the back door next to the kitchen and pinned her next to the adjacent wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Celeste said in complete frustration. Eric smirked and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. He made a hissing sound.

"That almost hurt." His hands slid down her sides and rested on her hips. "My little Celeste. What are you doing to me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She hissed back.

"I most certainly think you do. Since our last meeting I've missed you quite terribly."

"So I've heard. Having four women in your bed at once must be very difficult for you." Celeste replied in a mocking tone. One of Eric's hands went to her face, cupping her cheek.

"If you gave yourself to me then I wouldn't have to go to such measures to find . . . release." Celeste smirked at his response, her hands slowly slid up his chest and she chewed on the corner of her lip.

"You said you needed a favor. What is it?"

"I need you to come with me to Fangtasia. Some things have come up and I require your services."

"Require or desire?" Celeste said in a teasing tone.

"Both." There was a momentary pause. Eric pressed his body closer to hers, causing Celeste to gasp in the sudden influx of pressure. Eric moved his hand to the back of her neck and clutched a hand full of hair, taking in her scent again. She was intoxicating and irrisistable. He felt her move her pelvis back, his arousal growing between his legs. He grinned and decided, just to see what she would do, to release her. Celeste let out a faint whimper that would only be detectable by a vampire; Eric's grin grew. "Since you have this gift of keeping people away," Celeste could sense the double meaning in his words. "I need you to look after a person of interest for me."

"You want me to be a body guard?" Celeste huffed at the idea. She only used her force field to protect herself, rarely anyone else. Not only that, she thought Eric would have had a more interesting and personal favor to ask of her.

"Yes."

"And this person?"

"Her name is Sookie Stackhouse. She works at Merlottes and is a mind-reader." Celeste laughed a little too hard at the last sentence and started towards the back door.

"Okay, no you're just screwing with me." She said through small fits of laughter. Eric went to the door and blocked it with his body, crossing his arms over his chest, before she could open it.

"As much as I wish I could, I am not. She will only work for me if Bill Compton goes with her, however, I have strictly forbidden him not to."

"Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"Bill is Sookie's . . . lover. When it comes to her safety he is irrational and childish."

"So you want me to convince both of them to let this Sookie person go because she will supposedly be safe with me because of my ability to make a force field out of thin air that is nearly impenetrable all so you can handle some business and get her alone?" Celeste said with a sharp tongue. Eric bit down on his bottom lip. When she put it that way, it almost seemed true. But he didn't want to get Sookie alone, he wanted to get Celeste alone, away from everyone in Bon Temps. Eric was only using the business thing and getting Sookie to tag along as an excuse for her to be with him. Yes he would look after Sookie and make sure she didn't get into too much trouble, but his main objective was to make as many moves on Celeste as possible and have her in his bed before they returned to Bon Temps.

"I'm not using you to get Sookie alone. Remember that you and I made a deal. I only wish to make sure she is safe when we travel."

"Sure you do. And for future reference, if I'm traveling, it's where I wanna go, not because you need a body guard to protect your person of interest." Celeste put her force field up and pushed him aside, opening the door and going back to the bar.


	4. Chap 4: Jealousy and A Risk or Two

"Sookie, I do not think it is wise for us to be doing this." Bill Compton said next to her as they walked up to Fangtasia. Bill did not like Eric. Even though he was the sheriff of the area, Bill knew that Eric had something up his sleeves. When Sookie had told him about what Eric had wanted her to do, he was happy to find out that she had decline. However, when she received a phone call from him, asking her to meet him at the bar and to bring Bill along, both of them grew a little weary. Bill knew that Eric wanted to take claim of Sookie and he would do anything possible to build a wedge between them.

"I know, but he asked you to come with me so it's probably important." Sookie replied. They quickly entered the bar, which was empty for once. Neither Bill nor Sookie had ever seen Fangtasia when it was empty, so it was somewhat strange to hear silence and see no vampires dancing or feeding on humans. It almost seemed less hostile, but only a little. Both looked around and immediately saw Eric at the bar. Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she saw him in front of a woman, his body between her legs and hands wresting on the counter, leaning toward her. Their torsos were strangely close together and their faces barely touched. Sookie felt a sudden pain in her body and her heart thumped uncontrollably in her chest. She couldn't describe what she was feeling . . . jealousy maybe? Anger? Frustration?

Sookie cleared her throat loudly to get their attention. Eric looked in their direction and smirked. He stood erect and gestured for Sookie and Bill to come to him. She watched him intently. She watched Eric let out a hand to the woman on the stool and carefully set her on her feet. He let go and instead placed his hand behind her back. Sookie zoned in on the woman, opening her mind so that she could hear her thoughts. But she was shocked to find that there was nothing. Sookie pushed harder to listen to the woman, but to no avail.

"Sookie. Bill." Eric acknowledged them. "I would like you to meet a . . . acquaintance of mine." He looked down at the woman from the corner of his eye and grinned. "This is Celeste Monroe. Celeste this is Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton."

"It's nice to meet you." Bill said in a monotone. He let out a hand for her to shake and she did so quickly.

"Hi." Celeste said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you." Sookie said, shaking her hand as well. "Strange though, I haven't seen you before. And I know almost everyone in Bon Temps."

"Well I'm kinda new here, moved out here a few months ago." Celeste replied, slapping Eric's hand from behind her back. Apparently he was doing something he shouldn't have.

"You've been out here that long; I really should know you by now."

"I like to keep to myself." Sookie looked at Bill from the corner of her eye. He gave her a reassuring glace, feeling her distress through the bond. Right at that moment, Sookie knew she would have a lot of difficulty getting along with Celeste.

"All of you are aware of what I have grown weary with my other business and wish to seek out any that may be betraying me. Sookie you have done this with me before."

"And Bill was with me last time, so he will be again." She cut in.

"No. I cannot have another incident occurring like that. However, I am willing to negotiate." Eric looked down at Celeste. "I have thought about it for a while. Bill will be able to travel with us, but he will not be allowed to attend the meetings."

"And you expect me to let her go with just you and no protection what so ever?" Bill said.

"Sookie is always safe with me. But Celeste will also be attending these meetings with us as well. Aside from myself; she will also protect Sookie." Sookie stifled a laugh behind her hand and Bill gave Eric and Celeste a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry, but that is just ridiculous. How is she going to protect me from a room full of vampires? No offense." Sookie said with a grin. Celeste stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest. As she walked, one leg crossed the other and her head hung fairly low. She stepped a few feet away from Sookie and quickly gave her an once-over.

"Ms. Stackhouse. You will find that I am more than capable of protecting someone like you."

"Why don't you show her Celeste." Eric said in a challenging tone. She looked at him over her shoulder.

"My pleasure." Celeste stepped over to Bill and looked at him wickedly. And without hesitation or a second though, Celeste put the field up over her hand and carelessly flicked his chest with her finger, sending him fly across the room. Bill's back hit the entrance wall and fell to the ground with a THUMP. An imprint was left where his body hit it and a large crack started to form. Sookie was a loss for words. Bill grunted as he lifted himself up and dusted his faded pants off. Before Sookie could go to her lover's side, he had returned himself next to her. Celeste stood next to Eric and grinned.

"A small push would have sufficed." Eric whispered down to her.

"Really? I thought it was just enough."

"You have quite a gift." Bill said once he collected himself. Sookie had been in a fit of rage the entire time, but kept her mouth shut so if not to betray herself.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for the push. I hope you are not hurt." Celeste sounded completely concerned. But Sookie wasn't buying it. She intertwined her fingers with Bills and glared at Celeste.

* * *

Within the hour, Eric had convinced Bill and Sookie to agree with him. After the little display Celeste gave, he was certain that they would see things clearly. He noticed that Sookie was uncomfortable. Whether if it was because of his presence or Celeste's he didn't know, but he started to like it. However, Celeste's presence never left his mind. He was almost too aware that she was next to him. Before Sookie and Bill had arrived, things started to heat up. He wished that they had been at least five minutes late; that would have been enough time for him to fulfill his desire to taste her sweet lips again. Too many times had he imagined ravaging her body on the counter bar, tearing her clothes to shreds and licking, biting, sucking at her skin. His eyes rolled behind closed lids as he pushed away the image of her clinging to him as he thrust into her relentlessly on the counter, moaning his name in ecstasy.

They all agreed to depart for Las Vegas, the first of many destinations on his list, in a week. That would give them more than enough time to make the necessary arrangements to prepare. Bill and Sookie left Fangtasia on sweet terms, almost too sweet for Eric. Celeste didn't believe that Bill was okay; so she asked him countless times if he was alright or if he needed anything. This sparked something in Eric, something that wasn't good. Sookie noticed as well and didn't like it a bit as much as Eric did. Celeste waved goodbye to them until they were out of sight and let out a deep breath of relief.

"That was fun." She said with a smile.

"Indeed it was." Eric said, soaking in her body while she wasn't looking. She wore a white summer dress with a deep V neck that showed the part in her breasts. It was loose fitting, but tight around her torso, sticking to her with every move she made. He leaned against one of the tables. Eric imagined setting her atop his waist, slowly and teasingly pulling the knee length dress up to her hips. Eric's eyes glazed over with lust and yearning.

"Well I guess I better get going." Celeste turned around and saw Eric staring at her like he was going to pounce then and there. "What?" She asked. It was a stupid question, but she had to ask. She knew what he wanted; whether she would give it him was the question. Then there was also the question that he would take it by force, which Celeste found strangely appealing. Eric only stared at her with the same deep hunger that he had shown her earlier. At the moment, she was thankful that Sookie and Bill showed up on time, because if they didn't, who knew what would have happened.

However, strangely, almost instantaneously the look in Eric's eyes disappeared. He stood up and went to Celeste. "You did very well today." He said. For some odd reason, they were very far apart from each other. Celeste was used to feeling his body pressed against hers, or only having a few inches of space between them. But Eric seemed very far away from her, even though he was only five feet from her.

"Thank you." She said hesitantly. Celeste stood more erect as she felt Eric's fixed gaze on her. He was looking unmercifully in her eyes, and when she could bear it no longer, she forced herself to break eye contact. "I believe you owe me something." She said after an extremely long moment of silence.

"What is that exactly?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about. Or have you already forgotten the little deal we made so that I would work for you?" Eric smirked at her remark and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know I could always give you something else. You can get money anywhere. Me . . . not so much." He said with a promiscuous smile.

"As appealing as that sounds, I still pick the money. Now are you going to hand it over or not?" Eric bit his bottom lip and within a fraction of a second he was gone, only to return right in front of Celeste. He held five grand in cold-hard-cash and held it out for her to get. Celeste looked from Eric's scrutinizing face to the stack of money in his hand. She grabbed it and started to pull it away, but Eric's grip on it was stronger than it looked.

"What are you using it for? I will not allow you to buy drugs with my money." His face was earnest and Celeste struggled to stifle a laugh.

"You don't trust me at all do you?" She asked.

"No. I don't trust anyway."

"Well maybe you should start. Trust is the foundation of every relationship. Even the one between you and me." She pocked his chest with his hand.

"What are you going to use the money for?"

"You don't need to know."

"It's my money. I am giving it to you because we made a deal. Now I want to know what you are going to use it for." Celeste could feel Eric's grip tighten on the money. She knew he wouldn't let go, not for the life of him, if it could be called that. She carefully moved closer to him, there body close together but still separated by the money.

"I don't think you want to know Eric Northman." She said, her lips barely touching his. Eric could feel her warm breath against his lips and cheeks. He was more than ready to finished what had been started earlier that evening. He moved forward to press his lips against hers; however, Celeste diverted him easily. His lips collided with the corner of her mouth, just centimeters away from the original target. Eric gently bit down on the soft skin, his fangs completely exposed. He grazed them across her cheek slowly, happy to hear a shudder make its way through her. He carefully and gently made his way up her jaw line only to descend to her throat.

At the smell of her skin the money fell to the ground with a SMACK that filled the room. The hand that once held the money moved to the back of her waist, while the other slithered up her neck, grabbing a fist full of hair and pressing Celeste closer to him. Eric's face was completely hidden in Celeste's neck. He could feel her blood flowing and her veins pulsing against the lips that touched her skin. He took in a deep breath, inhaling her irresistible scent. A faint groan erupted through the closed lips that touched Celeste's skin. Her hand slowly slid up his back only to rest behind his neck, clutching the hair at the nape of it. Eric took in another deep breath and his fangs ran against her skin again. A shiver ran down her spine and at that moment, Celeste wanted him to do it. She wanted Eric to bite her. She didn't know what it was, but he had a power over her. One that made it more and more difficult to fight back and resist him every evening she saw him.

"Do you want me to do it?" Eric said, his lips still pressed against her skin. Celeste didn't answer right away. She was hesitant. Her mind was clouded and her thoughts irrational. Did she want Eric to bite her? Did Celeste really want him to do it? She wasn't sure, but she knew that he was ready to decide for her.

* * *

"I don't care what you say Bill, I don't like her." Sookie made it quite clear she did not like Celeste Monroe. She sat down on Bill's mostly unused bed and leaned back on her elbows. Bill sat down next to her and rested his hand on top of hers. Sookie didn't like the way Celeste looked at Bill, or the fact the she attacked him. She started to feel like an idiot for not pouncing on her and shoving her fist down her throat for hurting her boyfriend. Sookie was very bothered by Celeste, but the one thing that bugged her most was the sight of her and Eric. While they talked, she couldn't help but notice how Eric leaned toward her and sneaked quick glances at her from the corner of his eye. She also noticed how every now and then he would become very tense, and his usually relaxed and loose hands would slowly ball into large fists over the arm rests of his leather seat. Sookie noticed a lot of things about Eric that night, and none of it pleased her. But then again, when did anything about him ever?

"I know Sookie. But Eric has made it very clear that he does not want me there when you go to the meetings. I believe that Ms. Monroe is completely capable to protect you while I am not there."

"She flung you against a wall Bill." Sookie turned to him, her face written with disdain. "With the flick of her finger for goodness sake!"

"Yes, but it was only to display her abilities Sookie. Ms. Monroe brought no harm to me."

"Will you stop calling her that!" Sookie shot up from the bed, her hands clenched into small fists at her sides. "Stop calling her Ms. Monroe like she's a lady!" Bill was perturbed by Sookie's attitude. Bill didn't exactly like Celeste, he tolerated her. The only reason why he did was because he knew that his beloved would be safe with her. Not only that, he felt better knowing that it wasn't going to be just Sookie and Eric that attended the meetings. He was thankful to Celeste for this.

"I am sorry Sookie. But I will not debase Ms. Monroe as a woman. I understand that you are having conflicting emotions over her, but-"

"Bill Compton. I will not have that . . . thing be defended by you!" Sookie spat.

"Sookie why do you detest her so? She has done nothing to you or me for that matter?"

"She threw you against a wall! How is that not doing anything?" Bill looked away for a moment and looked back at Sookie.

"If this is about what we saw between Ms. Monroe and Eric then-"

"This is not about them!" Sookie protested.

"Then what is this about Sookie?" Bill stood in front of her now. "I do not understand why you loathe Ms. Monroe so much. Yes, she threw me against a wall only to display her powers, but I am unharmed. She explained herself to both of us and told us about her history. Sookie, I cannot be there when you and Eric go to the meetings. I do not trust Eric being along with you and am thankful to this woman for giving her time to attend as well. I trust her to protect you with her life, and that is why I will not degrade her."

Sookie took a moment to digest his words. What was really getting to her? Was it the fact that Bill could not be with her or that she met someone that she just didn't like. Maybe, she thought in the far corners of her mind, it was the idea that Eric had a new woman in his life and that she, Sookie Stackhouse, would no longer be needed by him. No longer desired. Sookie shivered at the thought. She quickly went to Bill and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry Bill. I don't know what came over me." She said as she rested her head against his hard chest. He combed his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"It's fine. I just hope you come to trust Ms. Monroe as I have." Sookie's hold on Bill tightened. She wasn't sure if she could trust Celeste. She wasn't sure if she wanted to.

* * *

_**A Few Days Later**_

Celeste looked down at the crumpled sheet of paper in her hand. She had gotten the address from Eric and started to wonder if he had given her the right one. She looked up at the white house and took a deep breath. She knew she was way in over her head. She counted to three in and made her way up the steps to the front door. She knocked on it twice, the sound reverberating throughout the house and in her ears. Celeste started to feel crass for waiting so long to do anything, and was about to turn away and leave but the door opened, calling her attention once again.

In the threshold, stood the person she did not expect. A man, most likely in his early twenties, with a black muscle shirt and tight fitting jeans answered. His face was chiseled and bone structure strong. Over all he looked like a stalwart construction worker or farmer. He was the first to speak.

"Hey. Who are you?" His voice was raspy and strained almost.

"Is this the Stackhouse residence?"

"Yeah. Who's askin'?"

"Hi. I'm Celeste Monroe. I'm looking for Sookie." Celeste stuffed the piece of paper in her pocket. The man stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him, giving Celeste a very slow once-over.

"Is she expecting you?"

"No. I thought I would just drop by to talk to her. You know she's going to be gone for a while."

"Yeah I know."

"I'm sorry, but what is your relation with Sookie?"

"I'm her brother." He said plainly. "Jason Stackhouse." Celeste immediately stifled a laugh and turned away to hide her crimson ridden face. "What? Have you heard stuff?" Jason asked in anxiety. Lately a lot of things had been surfacing around him. It was already bad the he had been accused of killing women, which everyone knew he was too stupid and didn't have the stomach to do. But somehow, word had gotten around that he was turning into a fangbanger.

"You're Jason Stackhouse? The one that is supposedly the best lay in all of Bon Temps? Or so I've heard." Jason grinned at this comment and relaxed a bit.

"Well what can I say? When you've got it, you've got it." Celeste rolled her eyes.

"Is your sister here Jason? I would really like it if I could speak with her." Celeste could clearly see that Sookie's brother was interested . His gaze never left hers for an instant, only to wander down the mysterious waves and curves of her body. However, she couldn't help but look at him. He obviously worked out and she liked it. His muscles were much more defined and prominent than any she had seen before. She could see the curves and veins in them which fascinated her. Through his thin shirt she could see a defined chest and the definite outlines of his abs. She started to wonder what his ass looked like and wished he would turn around so she could get a glance at it.

"She's at Merlottes. She'll be back later tonight. But you could stay and wait for her if you'd like." He said with a smirk. Celeste could tell Jason had no shame. She knew that if she went inside that she would be doing a lot more than waiting for Sookie. Celeste imagined the look on Sookie's face as she went down on her brother. She admitted it would be a hilarious and uncomfortable situation, but enjoyable nonetheless. However, Celeste was a one man woman. She still had to deal with Eric and his raging drives, not to mention forcing him into submission. She started to wonder what a stunt like that would do to Eric Northman. Would he go insane and try to kill Jason? Maybe take advantage of someone to let out his frustration? Or, most likely, find a way to punish Celeste that would be pleasurable but painful at the same time? Celeste started to feel rebellious and excited.

"Sure." She finally said. "I'll wait for her."


	5. Chap 5: Waiting and Questions

Eric Northman was aside himself with frustration. In the darkness of his bedroom, over the satin and silk of his smooth sheets, he could not find peace of mind. He was restless for some reason. Countless times he closed his eyes, hoping to find the pleasurable release of slumber, only to open them again to be consumed by the same badgering and invisible force that nagged at his mind. He had been restless for the past few days and had not seen or heard from Celeste since the evening he almost bit her. He relished at the thought of piercing her luscious flesh and engorging himself with her taste. However, like all good things that got started with her, it quickly came to an end when she decided to put her field up and leave him unsatisfied and in frenzy once again. Eric didn't realize the affect Celeste had on him. Every moment that he was awake he was thinking about her. The thought of warm skin against his and her long wavy hair collected in his hands, breathing in her scent with an intensity that scared him, drove him into complete and utter madness.

But for some reason, that day, something was pulling at him. If his heart hadn't stopped beating, it would be pounding against the cage in his chest uncontrollably. Eric got up from his bed and went to the bathroom connected to his bedroom. He was nearly blinded by the light when he flicked it on, but nonetheless, looked at himself in the mirror. He was paler than usual and he felt restless. He quickly turned the shower on and disrobed. He felt dirty and haggard. Once in, he took his time; resting his head against the tile wall, breathing in the steam. At that moment, nothing could have prevented him from remembering the day at Celeste's bedroom, when he almost had her and started the little game. His arousal immediately became erect and he let out a pathetic laugh. Even the mere thought of her had a major effect on him.

As he stood under the water, steam quickly filling the bathroom, his thoughts wandered to possible solutions for his complicated problem. Eric knew he couldn't touch Celeste unless she wanted him to. But it was taking much longer than he thought for her to become . . . intimate with him. Unlike most situations, he didn't have to try hard to get what he wanted; however, Celeste was proving to be quite the challenge. Any other woman would have easily been wooed by his charm and simple tricks of seduction without him even trying. Then again, Celeste wasn't like other women. She was keen and precise, innovative and reserved, and most importantly, or so Eric thought, she wielded a strange and intense power of sexiness that she could draw forth at her will. This fact fascinated Eric, but it also gave him a disadvantage. Celeste would always pull him in and bring him closer every time, as a result she would push him away even farther. Nights felt like empty years that went by painfully slow when Eric didn't see her.

Celeste undeniably had a hand over Eric, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. Every day he met her, he would watch her carefully, learning as much about her as possible. Eric was starting to understand how she played and had to find a way to counter it. However, because of the pending arousal twitching against his abdomen, his mind went ravenous with Celeste's name alone, the image of her body only making it worse.

Eric put his head under the water, trying to control his thoughts. It frustrated him that he had to actively stop his mind from thinking about her, which was nearly impossible to do. Even when he spoke to other people he would be thinking about her. It was a skill he had mastered over his one thousand years. He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip, his mind wandering to all the times where he had her in his grasp; imagining what might have happened if she didn't resist him, if they weren't interrupted, if she wasn't with someone else. His eyes rolled behind closed lids in the wishful ecstasy of his mind. His moans of forbidden pleasure filled the room and echoed in his ears. His hisses and inaudible whispers of his imagination led him to a high that was insurmountable to any before. And, without even touching himself for the slightest moment, came to his climax. His body tensed and hands clenched into fists, punching into the tile wall hard enough to make a few cracks. Eric recovered violently, his body slumped and his head hung low, his breathing in long deep breaths.

A wave of fatigue consumed him suddenly and he lazily got out and wrapped a towel around his waist. Eric collapsed on the bed and dragged himself to the mountain of pillows by the headboard. After a few seconds of imagining Celeste's sleeping body next to his, her head resting on his chest and fingers intertwined, Eric Northman quickly drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

Sookie's excitement grew by the second as her shift at Merlottes came to a conclusion. She quickly waved goodbye to Sam and Tara before dashing off to her car. It was dark out and she knew that Bill would be over very soon. Once she arrived at her house, she was surprised to see the living room lights on. _Is Jason still here? _She thought. Sookie made her way up the steps and unlocked the door. She heard voices from the living room and was about to scold her bone-headed brother for not leaving already, until she saw that here was a woman with him. Jason sat at the table with a beer in hand and the woman who Sookie was even doubly surprised to see was Celeste, leaned against the kitchen sink, a beer bottle rim close to her lips. Jason was the first to notice her.

"Hey Sookie. I didn't know you got off early?" He glanced at the invisible watch on his wrist. Sookie looked at her brother than at Celeste. What did she want? And what had she been doing with her brother?

"It's nine o'clock." She retorted.

"Really?" He asked in disbelief. He looked at the clock behind him and she was right, it was pass nine. "Damn. Times goes by fast when you're having fun." He gave a stupid smirk to Celeste, who giggled against the rim of the bottle.

"Hey Sookie." She finally said.

"What are you doing in my house?" Sookie tried not to sound disgusted, but it couldn't be helped.

"I was waiting for you. I though since I'm gonna be protecting you and all that I should at least get to know you. The same vice versa."

"Well I'm sorry, but tonight is not a good night." She lied. There wasn't much planned for the evening, except that Bill was coming over. Most likely they would talk and if Sookie got really lucky, make love.

"She's been waitin' for you since four Sook." Jason said standing up. He was defending her. Jason Stackhouse who only saw women as a good way to relieve stress and improve his sexual stamina was protecting a girl he didn't even know! Sookie was beyond flabbergasted. She couldn't believe the extent Celeste had gone. Sookie scowled at Jason, preferring not to make a scene and gestured for Celeste to follow her.

Sookie entered her bedroom and immediately went to the bathroom. She patted her face with cold water to reduce the redness that was beginning to build. She gave herself a pep talk: "Don't be mean Sookie. Try to understand her. Bill was right. I should be thankful to her for doing this or else Bill wouldn't be coming at all. Right. Be nice. Let her speak." Sookie dried her face and came back to see Celeste looking at a few pictures on Sookie's dresser. She held one of Sookie and Tara from when they were younger.

"You have a very nice house." Celeste said, still looking at the picture.

"Thank you." Sookie went over and looked at the picture with her. She could vaguely remember the day that she took the picture with her friend, but knew she must have been very happy because of the broad smile on her face. For a moment she wished that she was a child again; life would seem less complicated. Kids didn't understand the world around them. They didn't know what vampires were except for that spokes-lady that appeared on the news a lot arguing how good vampires were. They didn't know about shifters or werewolves or any of that. It was just them for all they knew. Celeste carefully set the picture down and turned to Sookie.

"I hope I'm not being too impersonal when I ask this, but, how long have you been dating Bill?" She asked. Sookie wasn't surprised. She knew sooner or later her new protector would ask. However, she was surprised that Celeste was being so care-free about it. As if she had a serious curiosity. Then again, that's how she was whenever she asked questions.

"Um, would you like to sit down?" She asked. Celeste nodded and both took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Not that long actually, probably a little less than a year."

"Really? I thought it would have been much longer with how you guys act around each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You guys kinda remind me of an old married couple." Sookie giggled at the comment. Yes, Bill was very old, but Sookie didn't mind. "When I see you together it's like you just know 'those two are in love'. You're both tentative to the others needs and when you look into each other's eyes it's like a ring of fire is around you two. It's pretty intense stuff."

"Do you love Eric?" Sookie said before could take it back. It was one of those moments when you think about something and then without realizing it, you said it out loud. Sookie felt like smacking herself then and there. Yes she wanted to know about Eric and Celeste's relationship, but she didn't want to seem so abrupt or hasty about it.

Celeste stifled a laugh and stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at Sookie with a scrutinizing but gentle expression.

"What is your relationship with Eric?" She asked nonchalantly.

"What's yours?" Sookie was on the defensive now. Celeste knew where this was going. It was one of those "my dick is bigger than yours" situations. And in all honesty, Celeste didn't like it.

"He is a friend."

"With benefits?" Sookie said in an acrimonious tone. Celeste thought for a moment. Where they friends with benefits? Aside from the make-out and heavy touching from time to time, they never did anything. That was the entire point, but still, they never took things a step further. Celeste digested this information slowly and started to think about how to take their relationship up a notch or two.

"I wouldn't say that . . . yet, anyway."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sookie said, now standing up, replicating Celeste's stance. Celeste didn't reply, instead she decided to change the subject. She didn't like that Sookie was trying to pry her way into her personal life, especially when it involved Eric. She knew Sookie wouldn't understand and decided to save her some unwarranted confusion.

"So, you can read minds. That's pretty cool. Can you read Bill's?" Celeste noticed Sookie's eye twitched at the mention of his name. Maybe it was the fact that it came from her lips that she didn't like.

"No. I can't read yours either."

"Oh. Well my fields to blame for that. It's protecting me 24/7, even when I sleep. It's kinda funny because vampires try to glamour me and they freak out when it doesn't work. Does that ever happen to you?"

"No. Vampires don't try to glamour me."

"Well aren't you special." Celeste's voice was somewhat mocking, but Sookie didn't seem to notice. There was a long moment of silence. Sookie wanted to know more about Celeste's relationship with Eric, she knew they were having sex. She felt it to the core. Sookie felt something towards Celeste . . . jealousy? Anger? All she knew was that it wasn't good. Sookie was ready to ask, or state rather, but before she could, the bedroom door open and Bill stood in the threshold. He didn't seem surprised to see Celeste. Both immediately greeted each other.

"Hey Bill." Celeste said in a warm tone that Sookie didn't buy for a second.

"Hello Celeste."

"How's your back?" She placed her hand on his shoulder. Sookie was on the verge of pouncing on her, but held her ground.

"It is fine. I assure you." He brushed her hand off and went to Sookie. A smile was immediately replaced on her face.

"I was just talking to your girlfriend. I thought we should get to know each other better since we're going to be leaving in a couple of days."

"How nice of you. I not only came to see you Sookie," Bill said looking down at his beloved. "I ran into Eric on my way over here.

"Eric? What is he doing in Bon Temps?" Sookie asked with a disgusted look.

"I assume that he was looking for you Celeste. He asked me to tell you to meet him at your place if I saw you by chance."

"Oh. Well that's a pisser-offer. I was just about to go home, but I think I'll stop by a couple of places before I go. Just to make him wait." They said their goodbye's and Celeste went outside and headed for Merlottes.

* * *

"I do not know why you insist on waiting for this bloodbag." Pam leaned against the door and looked at Eric, whom sat in the same white recliner as last time. They were in Celeste's house. Since earlier that day Eric couldn't get his mind off of her. He couldn't focus and realized that it had been what seemed like weeks since the last time he tasted her lips or any part of her for that matter.

" I don't see why you bothered to come." He replied.

"I want to see why you are making a huge fuss over her. She is causing you to lose focus."

"No she is not. There have been a lot of things on my mind."

"I can get rid of her if you want." Pam suggested. Eric death glared her so intensely that it caused Pam to sink deeper into the door.

"You will not touch her." He said in a caustic and acrimonious tone. Pam said nothing else, knowing that if she did her head would be ripped off. Hours passed and nothing happened. Eric was going impatient and anxious. He had to see her. He had to feel her, taste her, breath her intoxicating scent. Celeste was a drug and Eric was undeniably hooked. He looked at his watch and paced around the room. _Where could she be?_ He though. It was nearly three, which meant he only had a few hours before he would have to go back to Fangtasia and return to his bed. Pam grew tired of waiting and decided to leave her Maker with his pet, if she ever would arrive. But, she was also amused. Pam had never seen Eric go so far for anyone, let alone a human. She smirked as she jumped out a window and headed back to the bar.

Eric constantly looked from his watch to the door. He would sit down only to get out of the seat and look at his watch then the door. He sat back down in the recliner, tapping his fingers against the armrest. _What is taking her so long? _But, Eric being Eric, he decided to seize the moment. He was alone in Celeste's house; which meant that he could do anything he wanted. He quickly went to the bedroom and immediately started opening and rummaging through drawers. At first he didn't find anything interesting; at least anything that would interest him. But once he went to the dresser adjacent to the closet, he found more than what he was looking for. Eric slowly and carefully pulled out a piece of lingerie that he couldn't help but imagine Celeste in. It was a peach corset with black stripes running down it. There was also a black G-string and leggings that went up to mid-thigh. Eric put it back and looked at another piece next to it. It was a black translucent bra with matching panties with ribbons tied on the side.

"She is going to where this for me one night. And when that night comes, I am going to rip it to shreds." Eric closed the drawer and laid down on the bed, locking his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.


	6. Chap 6: Love and Sex and Magic

**A/N: **I would just like to thank everyone for the reviews, I appreciate them so much and they give me a tremendous amount of motivation to continue. Also, since school has started again and I'm getting back into the groove of things I would very much appreciate it if you remained patient with me. I'm trying to get them out as fast as I can when time permits. In addition, I want to give you a heads up on this chapter. There is a lot of sexual content and profanity and if anyone is offended or does not agree with where the plot is going then I am so very sorry. I will try to improve and make it better if need be. Other than that, enjoy, review, and please don't bash on me too much if you don't like it.

**Chapter 6: Love and Sex and Magic . . . but Mostly Sex**

In the back of her mind, Celeste Monroe hoped that a certain someone wouldn't be waiting for her at her house. She took her precious time after leaving Sookie's house before going back to her own. She went to Merlottes and talked to Sam, Tara, Terry, Lafayette, and a few other people she had grown to like and become familiar with. After that she went to Henry's and talked with a few of her friends there. Celeste was a little intoxicated and struggled to get her damned key in the hole so she could get inside. Her mind felt fuzzy and rested against the threshold as she continued to struggle. But once she had it in and turned it to the left, she burst into a joyous laughter that only she would understand. Celeste dropped her keys on the kitchen counter and threw her jacket on the couch. Her legs criss-crossed each other as she walked.

Celeste was prepared to collapse on the bed once she entered her bedroom, but only stood at the end where a pair of dangling legs hung over. Sobriety almost immediately compelled her.

"You know I could report you for breaking and entering." She stated. She watched Eric; he took in a deep breath and peaked up at her only to close his eyes again.

"What would be achieved from that?"

"It would get you out of my house." Her weight shifted to one side and she was momentarily off balance. Eric sat up and looked at her.

"Are you drunk?" He asked with a bewildered tone.

"Of course not." She spat. Celeste bit down on her bottom lip and looked at Eric wickedly before sauntering to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Eric could hear her undressing and was tempted to press his ear against the door and imagine her undressing in front of him, but decided it would be best to hold his ground. Which he would later find impossible to do.

"How long have you been here?" Celeste yelled from the bathroom.

"Not long." He lied. "Pam was with me, but decided she had other business to attend to."

"Really? Pam was in my abode? How scandalous!" Eric could hear her smiling as she spoke.

"Yes, she was very fond of your furniture, she thought the bar . . ." However, Eric could not finish his sentence. Celeste stood in the doorway. She was completely exposed to him; her flat and toned stomach that he had only seen once before, her long and luscious legs that were difficult to divert his eyes from, her long cascading hair giving her a dark and foreboding demeanor. Eric's body tensed and his eyes wandered over every part of her. Her breasts, which were usually plump and attractive all the time, were held in a grey and silver bra that made them look fuller and firmer. And her ass, which he had grabbed countless times before, looked just as good, if not better. Eric could see the curves and bounds in her body and became immediately infatuated with her.

"What's wrong Eric? Am I overwhelming you?" Celeste said in a seductive and low tone that made Eric want to pounce on her. Eric knew very well what she was doing, but decided it would be best, and safest, for him if he played a long.

"Not at all. I am enjoying this view very much."

"Really? Why don't you come closer so you can see better?" She gave him a coy smile and curled her finger at him, gesturing for him to come to her. However, instead, he decided to pick her up and rest her on his waist before she could let out a breath. "Is this better?" She asked.

"No. Not yet." Eric grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. Both were technically topless at that point but neither minded. Celeste's hands slid up his toned and muscular arms to his broad shoulders. They moved down over his collar bone to his defined abs that seemed to be her favorite part about him. At the same time, Eric's hands slid down her back, faintly touching her skin, sending waves of shivers through her body. His head lowered to her neck where he almost bit her once before, and kissed the soft spot. But for some odd reason, Celeste tasted different to him. Eric continued to kiss her soft skin and slowly began to inhale her scent, but something threw him off. She didn't smell or taste like candies and Earth like she normally did. There was a hint of something else. She smelt of salt and . . . blood? Eric pushed her back from him, his grip on her shoulders the only thing keeping her from falling.

"Where were you today?" His tone was harsh and acrimonious. Celeste was caught off guard.

"What do you mean? You know where I went." She asked innocently. Eric took in her scent again, except taking a very deep breath, trying to figure out what the sudden change was. It smelt familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He repeated the question again, his voice completely filled with anger.

"I went to Sookie's place. But she wasn't there so I waited for her with her brother."

"Jason Stackhouse?"

"Yeah." Eric pushed her to the side, not hard enough to hurt her, just enough to make her crash onto the bed.

"You were alone with Jason Stackhouse?" His voice remained neutral, but she could see the anger raging behind his eyes. Celeste had never seen him angry before; it didn't scare her or anything. It actually pissed her off. She knew exactly where this was going and was not going to allow him to yell at her for her minor infidelity, if it could be called that.

"What of it?" She said, now in the defensive.

"You fucked him didn't you?" Eric turned his back to her and took in a deep breath; trying to diminish his increasing anger.

"No I didn't. But so what if I did! You have four women in your bed at once and you don't see me blowing up on you. So don't you dare try to yell at me when you're just as horrible!" Celeste was on her knees looking at his bare back.

"You are the one raising your voice."

"Because I know what you are accusing me off." Celeste got up and walked around to Eric. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him, which appeared to be very very high. Celeste lowered her voice and calmed herself as she spoke. "Eric, you have had women in your bed in the past and I have not said anything about it."

"You did at the bar you work at." He interjected. Celeste bit down on her tongue.

"That because I was mad at someone else and was letting it out on you. Aside from that I have not said anything. And I have most certainly not used it against you. This is supposed to be a game, no strings attached. If you call me out on the only time I have ever done anything with another man, what does that look like? You are becoming irrational and are debasing yourself. If this is how it is going to be until one of us gives in then I think we should stop now."

"We are not stopping this." Eric took a step closer, backing Celeste against the wall. "I have come too far to turn back. I crave you too much to turn back." Eric's lips collided with Celeste's. All of the pent up lust and yearning, all the women he had slept with imagining it was her, every thought of her and memory Eric contained inside himself burst out in that moment. It had been days since Eric last tasted her and savored every moment of it. His tongue darted in her mouth and mingled and fought against hers, battling for domination. Through a moan Celeste finally gave up resistance and let Eric have his momentary supremacy. Eric groaned into the kiss, pressing his body against hers and lifting her up by the waist. Celeste wrapped her legs around his waist, Eric pressing his body even closer to support her. The kiss deepened as Celeste intertwined her fingers in his hair, biting on his bottom lip. She could feel his arousal throbbing against her inner thigh and was very tempted to pull it out of his pants and stroke him, but kept her hands to herself. However, the same could not be said for Eric.

His hand slipped down the length of her waist, sending sensations throughout her entire body. His fingers traced her hip bone and eventually the outline of her panties. Before Celeste could completely comprehend what he was doing, Eric diligently and quickly slipped a finger inside her. Celeste's eyes closed as she moaned against his lips. The hand on his shoulder gripped him ferociously, leaving crescent shaped indentations in his skin. He slowly began to move his finger in and out of her, only to be returned with more moans. Her sounds became a drug to him and it became his mission to please her at that moment.

Celeste bit down on her bottom lip, trying to hold back the whines of ecstasy she was feeling. This minor detail did not leave Eric's attention. He slipped another finger inside her, getting a high pitched moan in response. He struggled to control himself. Her walls were tight around his fingers as they squeezed him and her core was unbelievably hot. He couldn't wait until he could get himself inside her. With every withdrawal and thrust inside her, her moans became more constant. As Eric picked up his speed, driving harder and faster into Celeste, her nails dug into his skin and her moans became louder. Eric latched his lips to hers again, needing to taste her and quiet her only a little. Her other hand cupped his cheek, bringing him closer to her, as a result Eric picked up speed, going faster than usual. Celeste nearly screamed at the sudden velocity and Eric deepened the kiss, taking in every piece of her. Before Celeste could stop herself, she bit down on Eric's lip, her eyes sealed shut from the ecstasy that became more and more difficult to endure. Celeste didn't know what it was, but she could feel something trickling its way down her throat, but ignored it. Eric did not protest whatsoever. He had been trying to figure out a way to get her to drink his blood, little did she know that she solved the problem for him.

As Celeste reached her climax, she pulled away from Eric. He relentlessly thrust his fingers deep inside her, relishing the sounds she made from the sweet lips that were irresistible to him now. Her hands pressed against his chest, trying to push him farther away as she came closer and closer to her release.

"Eric . . ." Celeste breathed out, she was surprised that she could even get a word out. Her mind was clouded and fuzzy, but everything felt so good she couldn't resist. And, within a matter of a few seconds after uttering his name, Celeste came to her climax violently. Her hands latched to his arms and her back arched, pushing Eric's fingers deeper inside of her. Wave after wave came at her like a bullet. Blowing her mind and filling the room with her screams that were certain the wake the neighbors if they weren't up already. Celeste slowly came down from her high, her body shaking and her grip still tight on Eric's arms. Her body felt like jelly, and if he wasn't holding her up, she would have surely fallen to the ground. Celeste's body slumped against Eric's, her arms wrapped around his neck and her heart pounding behind her chest. He held her around the waist and gently lifted her from the wall, walking over to the bed and laying down with her on top of him, still completely breathless.

Eric combed his fingers through her hair and waited for her to recover. He was surprised at how far it had gone. He had only meant to make-out with her that evening, but was more than happy with how it turned out. He grinned at himself for a job well done and relaxed in the bed.

"It could be like this every night." He said in a whisper. "I could please you to your hearts content and more. I can do whatever you want me to Celeste . . . will you yield to me now?" Eric waited for an answer, but when he did not get one he looked down at Celeste. Her eyes were shut and her breathing returned to normal. Eric laughed at himself; he had tired her out with only his fingers. He started to wonder how the real thing would affect her. He was happy to see this though. Not only that, he thought about how the consumption of his blood would affect their already intense relationship. He would always know how she felt and could easily find her. Right now, the cards were definitely played in his advantage. He looked forward to the nights where Celeste would be too tired to do anything because of him, not to mention listening to her say his name and moan for more. Yes, Eric looked forward to the long and intense nights that awaited him once Celeste surrendered herself to him.

***

_Celeste rolled over in her bed, the sky was dark and murky, which was strange to her. She felt cold fingers gently glide down her side, sending familiar sensations through her body. Her hold on the blanket tightened around her and a cool breeze rushed down her back. She didn't know why she was naked. The blanked wrapped around her waist and up to her neck, leaving her back and side completely exposed. She felt the fingers glide back up her side and let out a relaxed breath._

"_You insist on not acknowledging my presence." Said a familiar voice from behind her. Celeste brought her knees to her stomach and pressed the blanket closer to her. When he didn't get a response and moved closer to her, making Celeste feel a little uncomfortable. He grinned in response and replaced the fingers on her skin with his lips. He kissed lightly, starting from her hip bone, slowly making his way up to her neck. "Are you going to continue to ignore me?" He asked between a kiss. Celeste hummed in response determined not to give him an answer. "Fine then; I guess I'll have to force you."_

_Before Celeste could blink, he turned her around on her back and took his position on top of her. Celeste wasn't surprised that Eric would act so childishly, but nonetheless, she enjoyed what her disregard for him did sometimes. Eric leaned against her, resting against his elbows for support. Celeste could feel his arousal against her entrance and peaked down at it. Eric followed her gaze and smirked, he never got tired of the expression she had every time she saw it. Celeste looked back at him and took in a deep breath and, without hesitation, Eric penetrated her entrance. A moan escaped Celeste's lips immediately and Eric growled at the feel of her. He moved slow, wanting to savior the feel of her and lock away her sweet sounds in his memories. But, Eric being Eric, he quickly picked up the pace and pulled Celeste closer to him, lifting her onto his lap, going deeper inside her. Their bodies pressed and moved together in unison, their sounds of pure pleasure filling the room and each other's ears. Eric grazed his fangs over her neck where he had bitten her before and pierced the flesh relentlessly. _

Celeste jumped awake, her eyes alert and wide. It took a few minutes for her to realize where she was, but knew once she saw Lafayette looking perniciously at her.

"What were you dreamin' about?" He asked with a smirk.

"Nothin'." She combed her fingers through her hair.

"Mmhmm. Didn't sound like nothing." Lafayette went to the bar and poured himself a drink. Celeste went to Merlottes to get a drink and at some point, must have fallen asleep at the bar. She adjusted herself in the stool, her but feeling sore suddenly. Lafayette leaned in closer to her with a scrutinizing expression.

"Don't you have to leave tonight?" He asked. "Going to Atlanta or Chicago or some shit place like that?"

"Nope." Celeste stretched her arms out and yawned. "That's tomorrow night. And it's LA."

"Why's the fuck you going anyway? What business you got there?"

"I wouldn't call it my business. Just helping someone out."

"I know you ain't caught up in that Eric Northman bullshit Cici."

"And what Eric Northman bullshit would that be Lafayette?" Lafayette set his drink down and Celeste could tell that he was about to give her a lecture.

"Whacha got goin' on with him Cici? I know that muthafucka and he ain't never up to no good."

"Nothin." Celeste said nonchalantly.

"Heffa, I may do some stupid shit, but I ain't stupid enough to mess with him. Are you fucking him?"

"Where'd you hear that from?" Celeste was suddenly on the defensive. What happened between the two of them stayed between them, that how it is for any kind of relationship.

"It don't matter. Just the fact that I heard it means something. Are you going down on Eric?"

"No. At least I wouldn't call it that." Celeste grinned.

"Damnit Cici! Eric is a crazy muthafucka and you don't need to be messin' with him."

"And this comes from the gay chief that secretly sells V."

"Bitch that ain't nothing compared to the shit you doing with Eric."

"And what shit is that? He has some business to take care of and I'm just helping him out." Celeste said innocently.

"Yeah, so what the fuck you getting out of it? His blood maybe."

"Lafayette do you think so little of me?" Lafayette leaned in closer and calmed down a little. He had only known her for a short time, but he liked her a lot. She kept it real with him, most of the time, and there was no bullshit with her. Which was hard to come by since the vampires came out the closet. He knew what Eric was capable of doing and that he was really scary when he was pissed off. It could be assumed that talking Celeste out of it was his way of protecting her.

"Look Cici. I know what this dude is capable of. He can be scary as shit if you piss him off and he only thinks about himself. You don't want to fuck with him; so whatever you're doing with him or not doing with him, you need to stop it now. Before you get into some deep shit you can get out of." Celeste though about his words for a moment. Lafayette was right; Eric could be scary and he was intimidating, but she was what he wanted and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize or push her away.

"I know Lafayette. But Eric and I have a . . . mutual agreement. I can take care of myself, you know that. So don't worry about it too much, I'll be back and in one piece in no time. Anyway, I have to start packing so I will see you before I leave tomorrow night." Celeste leaned over the counter and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before leaving Merlottes with a concerned Lafayette behind her.

***

"Sam?" Celeste said as she was just about to open the door to her car. Sam Merlotte was taking out some trash and noticed her on his way back into the bar. It had been a while since he had a conversation with her; she was always being dragged away by Lafayette or Tara or someone else that was trying to get her attention. He walked up to her and put his hands in his back pockets.

"Hey Cici." He said with a genuine smile. For some reason Sam liked her. He wasn't sure exactly what it was about her that he liked so much, but whenever he saw her he couldn't help but smile. There was no bullshit with Cici or dark secrets. If he asked her an honest question she gave him an honest answer, which was refreshing to him.

"Hey." She leaned against her car. Celeste always seemed to glow to Sam; like nothing could ever get her down. She was always smiling and happy for no reason, which was a good thing since a lot of weird shit had been going on lately.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch you earlier, we were really busy tonight." He said.

"Yeah I noticed. But then again you're busy every night."

"Seems that way. So you're going to LA tomorrow night." Sam walked over and leaned against the car beside her. It was very dark out aside from the evanescent stars that faintly glistened in the murky sky. Celeste looked up at them and wished that she could just pick them out and put them in a jar to keep them to herself forever. She also remembered how much she missed them. In big cities with tall skyscrapers it was hard to see them. But in a small town where every night is crisp and the sky is clear, she could see them so clearly.

"Yeah. Me, Sookie and Bill." She said unenthusiastically.

"So how long you gonna be gone?"

"Until Eric decides we can come back."Celeste let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. She liked Sam's presence. He was real and honest, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. In the back of her mind, she believed that if she hadn't gotten mixed up with Eric, then she could have possibly been better off with Sam; someone that was an honest and genuine person that preferred to stay away from the drama, even if it found you.

"Eric . . ." Sam heaved out as if Celeste was talking about her ex. As if she was comparing him to Eric. This turned her off a little.

"Don't Sam. I've already heard enough from others." Celeste's expression fell a little, this did not leave Sam's eye. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and tugged her into his chest so that her head rest on it.

"I wasn't. Besides, I hear Lafayette lecturing you about so much it's making me sick." He said with a small laugh. Celeste hummed and smiled at him. "But you know," Sam looked down at her and let out a deep breath that he didn't know he was holding the entire time. "Everyone's just looking out for you." Celeste stood up, with his arm still wrapped around her, and looked at him.

"I know that . . . but I don't know why."

"Because we care about you Cici. You look after the people you love."

"Are you saying you love me Sam Merlotte?" Celeste asked with a cunning smile. Sam's face heated for a moment and he looked down to hide his barely flushed face. Something he always did when he was uncomfortable. Celeste laughed at him and gave him a hug. She knew he didn't love her, not like he loved Sookie. He would always have a . . . brotherly love for her, and that, she was more than willing to accept. "Bye Sam. I'll see you before I leave."

"Bye Cici." Sam headed to the bar and turned back to catch a quick glance of her driving off before going back inside.


	7. Chap 7: Fights and Saying No

A/N: First and foremost I am so sorry that it has taken so long for me to update. My computer crashed and I had to go get it fixed, I am just now getting it back , so please enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry if it kinda sucks, my head has been all over the place recently and I've been really busy. But please enjoy, review and I hope you like it.

**Chapter 7: Fights and Saying No**

Celeste pulled out her black and white striped suitcase and set it on her bed. She couldn't get what Sam and Lafayette has said to her earlier that evening out of her head for some reason and it started to bother her. She couldn't understand why they were so protective of her. She hadn't known them that long but liked them a lot. She understood why Sookie was so fond and protective of them. They all brought something to the table. Lafayette and Tara were smart and wise, but did a lot of stupid shit. Terry was always a gentleman and tried to make her laugh when she was feeling a little down. And Sam . . . well he was like all three combined. He had a good head on his shoulders and thought about a lot of things. He did some stupid stuff but learned from his mistakes and offered wisdom to others. Not to mention he was always kind to Celeste and was always there for her most of the time. As Celeste thought about this, she figured there was some truth to what they said. She didn't know much about Eric, and the stuff she did know wasn't so good. He didn't know much about her, which was a good thing. Celeste knew that he would have Pam digging in her past, but hopefully she wouldn't dig too much out.

Celeste was in very deep thought as she folded some of her clothes and put them in her suitcase. She thought about what happened last night. For some reason it pissed her off. Things weren't suppose to go that far that fast. The idea was to take things slowly and not to get too far ahead of each other, so that both would be on equal playing fields. But Eric was a head of her, which was a good thing and a bad thing. The bad part was that Celeste had to find a way to get back at him without giving him anything; to punish him in a way. She would have to find a way to give him a fraction of what he gave her, and make it unbearable for him. But on the flip side, there were a few things that played in her favor. Eric had received a lot more than he deserved, so naturally he would want more. He would try to make what happened the night before a regular thing until he was ready for the main event. But that also meant that he would desire her more. He saw how she reacted and felt only a small portion of what she could be like in bed; he would want to see more of that.

Celeste laughed at the fact that Eric screwed himself over. Yeah he got a leap on her, but he was worse off because of it. Celeste would use this to her advantage until she felt like having or not having her way with him. From her bedroom she heard the front door open and close. _Perfect timing,_ she thought. She pretended not to notice his presence as he leaned against the threshold, his arms crossed over his chest and his weight on one leg.

"I was expecting you at Fangtasia." He said.

"I know." Celeste said nonchalantly. She continued to fold the clothes next to her.

"I don't want you conversing with Sam Merlotte."

"Why? Don't you like Sam?"

"Not particularly." He said in a semi-harsh tone.

"I think he's adorable. He doesn't take advantage of me like some people."

"Do you consider last night as me taking advantage of you?" Celeste could hear him smirking as he spoke.

"Of course."

"Really? It seemed to me that you were enjoying it very much." Celeste could still hear his smirk.

"I never denied it." Celeste placed the clothes in the suitcase and closed it, zipping it shut. "But you took it too far."

Celeste finally turned around and looked at him. After last night she thought the sight of him would repulse her with how angry she was, however, it did the exact opposite. She was almost immediately aroused and Eric could feel it through the bond that Celeste was still unaware of. "I hardly think so." He replied.

"Like I said." Celeste kept her ground. "You took it too far."

"I don't recall you trying to stop me from doing so."

"Who's to say I didn't? You were all over me I could barely get anything out." She stated.

"Celeste we both know that if you really wanted to stop me you would have." Eric said with a smirk. Celeste tapped her foot on the ground in aggravation.

"What are you really getting out of this Eric? Why are you trying so hard to get me when there are so many others that throw themselves at you willingly?" Eric brought his finger to his lips and lightly tapped them, pretended to think.

"You interest me."

"I believe that has already been established." She said, pressing him for a more elaborate answer.

"Fine." He said. "I cannot glamour you and you can physically keep me at a distance. I can't glamour Sookie either, but she can't push me away like you can. Not only that you resist me, taunt me and please me all at once. Your mere presence is enough to get me going." He said the last part with a smirk while attentively eyeing Celeste.

"Well, I'm so glad to hear that." She replied sarcastically.

***

_**The Following Evening**_

"Lafayette calm down. You're gonna scare all our customers away." Sam said as he cleaned a beer mug with a cloth. Lafayette was anxious about the fact that Celeste was leaving, and hoped that she would come in before she left like she said. He wanted to change her mind and find a way to make her stay, but Lafayette knew that once Celeste set her mind on something nothing could change it. It was the one thing he hated about her at the moment.

"I don't give a fuck, these people gonna be back here tomorrow night just like yesterday and the day before that." He replied, his eyes fixed on the door.

"Don't count on her comin' in." Sam said beneath his breath.

"She's gonna be here damnit. Cici said she would be and she will be." After a few minutes of searching for an MIA Celeste, Lafayette turned to the bar and took a shot of a clear liquid that scorched his throat as it slithered down to his stomach. "That bitch better get here soon. Do you know when her flight is?"

"Eleven I think." Said Sam.

"How's the fuck you know when she's leavin'?" He snapped.

"Because I asked her." Sam rolled his eyes at the chef and wiped down the counter.

"How are you so calm about Cici leavin' Sam? I know you gotta little somethin' somethin' going on with her." Lafayette smirked before taking another shot.

"Cici can take care of herself Lafayette. And she's coming back," He said with a shrug of the shoulder. "Besides, Bill and Sookie will be there so we don't have anything to worry about."

"You mean YOU ain't got nothin' to worry about. Cici can take care of herself but she does some stupid shit. The only reason why she's leavin' is because she's in stupid shit!" He yelled.

"Damnit Lafayette calm down! And don't be sayin' shit like that about Cici."

"You know I'm right Sam." Lafayette said once he finally calmed down. "Everybody and de mama know how you feel about that girl. I'm surprised you haven't gotten down on your knees and begged her to stay." He said with a tip of his head.

"Cici leaving has nothing to do with me."

"Shit. You may be able to fool yourself into thinking that none of this got anything to do with you, but the truth is that you got it bad for Cici, and everyone seems to know that except her. So don't try to tell me that you don't give a fuck whether or not she's leavin', because I know you do."

"Well what do you want me to do Lafayette?" Sam nearly yelled, throwing that dirty cloth under the counter. "Cici isn't like all the other girls. She does what she wants and is quick to be brutally honest with you. I'm not settin' myself up for more rejection."

"You talkin' about Sookie?" Lafayette asked. He always did have a keen way of reading between the lines. Sam had been rejected by Sookie many times, and even Lafayette was starting to get tired of it. That was one thing that he was worried about. He was concerned that Sam would just use Cici as a rebound after being constantly put down from Sookie, but he also knew that Cici brought out the better side of Sam and that if they tried hard enough, they could work out and be quite the couple. They were good for each other, they made each other human. Lafayette recalled the countless times Cici almost beat the shit out of a bunch of hillbilly's for grabbing her ass and saying things that even Lafayette wouldn't dare to say to her. However, Sam was always there to calm her down and keep her from breaking a few "packages", so to say.

"No, I'm not." Sam replied after a long moment.

"Sam," Lafayette leaned against the bar and gave him the serious lecture face that everyone became familiar with. "Cici is leaving in a few hours, and we don't know when she's going to be back. Sookie is going with Bill and Cici is going with Eric. Don't tell me that don't make you uncomfortable even a little." Sam let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"It does. But I have no claim on her, so it doesn't matter.

"Don't have a claim on who?" Someone suddenly said. Lafayette turned around and Sam looked up. Their eyes met Celeste immediately, her standing figure only a few feet away from them. Lafayette gave a quick glance at Sam, then looked back at Celeste. "Hey guys." She said with a smile as she looked at both of them.

"Hey Cici." Lafayette looked back at Sam then at her. "I have to go cook some shit so I'll talk to you later." He said, making an excuse for him to leave and get Sam and Celeste alone. Sam knew immediately what Lafayette was up to and was half ready to yell at him, but was unable to. Celeste said that she would go see him before she left and turned her attention to Sam.

"See." She started. "I told you I would come by before I left." Celeste smiled and Sam felt a tinge of guilt for some reason. He had no idea when she would be coming back, or if she would be. Eric could keep her by him for months, even years if he wanted to.

"Good. Come on," He gestured for her to follow him. "Let's go talk in my office."

"Umm . . . okay." Celeste followed him hesitantly. Once they entered she sat down on top of his desk, her legs crossed. Sam closed the door and stood a few feet away from her. "So, what did you want to talk about?" She said while grabbing a picture frame of his desk; it was a picture of everyone, Sam, Tara, Sookie, Lafayette, and a few others in front of Merlottes on a very sunny day. Celeste smiled at the picture and set it back down, returning her attention to him. Sam combed his fingers through his hair and sucked in a breath.

"When are you coming back?" He asked. Sam knew Lafayette was right; he just didn't want to admit it. Sam cared deeply for Celeste and the idea of her traveling with Eric made it unbearably uncomfortable for him. He knew that Eric was going to try something on her; he had no doubt about that.

"I don't know. Whenever Eric decides." She said nonchalantly while twirling a number 2 pencil between her fingers.

"Can you trust this guy Cici?" Sam was trying to be as indifferent as possible. There was a long pause before she answered him.

"I don't know."

"Then what the hell are you doing with him?" Sam moved a few feet closer to her, but there was still a large gap between them.

"I don't know really. Maybe I'm waiting to figure that out." Celeste looked at Sam and smiled. "Sam. This is my last couple of hours in Bon Temps until gosh knows when. Do you really want to talk about this?" She said in a testing, but also teasing tone.

"Yeah I do, because I want to know that you are going to be safe and that Eric isn't going to try anything with you."

"I knew it," Celeste hopped down from the desk. "Lafayette put you up to this didn't he?"

"He ain't got anything to do with this. I just don't trust the guy that you're going to be spending 24 hours with for who know how long!"

"Sam, not now. I have to go soon so just tell me that you're gonna miss me and I'll be on my way."

"You know I'm gonna miss you. It just don't feel right that you're going to be spending so much time with a vampire you barely know." He said defensively.

"So it's okay for Sookie to spend all her time with her boyfriend Bill Compton then?"

"That is different." He said while pointing a finger at her.

"How is it different?" The conversation was starting to get heated by the second and it took a turn for the worst that Sam really wanted to prevent. But this was Celeste he was talking to; he had to remember that.

"Sookie and Bill have been dating for over a year and I know enough about both of them to trust them."

"So you're saying you can't trust me?" Celeste yelled. "So because you don't know Eric that well and you don't feel comfortable about me going on a business trip him that means you don't trust me? That does not make any sense at all!"

"Celeste, Eric is a dangerous vampire and I know what he is capable of doing! You should not be hanging around with him!"

"All vampires are dangerous Sam! All of them! That includes Bill Compton!" Celeste stamped her foot on the ground in frustration. Celeste waited for Sam to say something, instead he simply looked at her dumbfounded. Celeste knew that Sam was just looking out for her, but he didn't have to make up excuses to get her to stay. He should have just told her that he didn't want her to go, and most likely, she wouldn't have.

However, when Sam didn't respond whatsoever, Celeste turned on her heel and went for the door. Her hand reached the silver handle and pushed down, pulling it open slightly only for it to be closed shut before she could get her foot out. Sam leaned against the door, his body towering over hers, preventing the door from opening. He looked intently at her, wishing that she could read his thoughts or at least interpret his expression. He opened his mouth, but when nothing came out he closed it. He closed his eyes for the briefest moment then looked back at Celeste.

"I'm going to miss you." He said finally. The corners of her mouth turned up in a small faint smile, barely noticable.

"I'm going to miss you too." Celeste pulled the door open again, but it closed again before she stepped out. She looked up at Sam expectantly, waiting for him to say something else. Sam cursed himself internally and made a note to smack himself when he had the chance. He was ready to tell her, he wanted to tell her. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He pissed her off and he said some things he shouldn't have. Sam would only get cut in two by her biting words if he said anything else. He slowly stepped back from the door and let Celeste open it. She waved good-bye to him with the smile she always had on her face whenever he saw her and closed the door just before looking back at him for the briefest moment.

***

"Hey bitch." Celeste said, tapping on the tin counter in front of the kitchen. Lafayette stood a few feet away from her on the other side, platting a cheeseburger and fries.

"So did Sam tell you my skankalicous friend?" He said while he set the plate next to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Celeste replied innocently.

"Hoe, I know Sam talked to you about somethin'."

"I knew it!" Celeste slapped her hands on the counter, unintentionally calling all of the attention in the bar at them. "You did put Sam up to it!"

"I didn't do anything baby, I just gave him the tools and the opportunity."

"Lafayette why are you doing this? I already get enough from you trying to talk me out of it, and Sam isn't any better!"

"Well we all got our reasons for wanting you to stay honey. Some more than others." Lafayette looked over at Sam as he went back to the bar; Celeste was completely unaware of his sudden appearance.

"Okay. But my flight leaves in less than an hour so I have to go. So I'll see you when I get back."

"If you comin' back." He replied under his breath.

"I'm coming back." Celeste said sternly. She said her goodbye's and left in a hurry to get to the airport before she got her head bitten off by a certain someone.

***

Eric Northman was never one to wait on people, but lately he found himself doing much of it. It was nearly 10:30 and the private jet would take off in half an hour with or without Celeste. His arms crossed over his chest and his fingers tapped against his biceps impatiently. Even though he had grown tired of waiting for her while Bill and Sookie did the same only inside the jet, Eric thought about what would happen over the trip.

His plane was to bed Celeste before they returned to Bon Temps and have her be his new pet that was close to him at all times. He started to imagine what she would look like with a collar around her neck with a metal chain connected to it being clutched in his hand. Eric knew it was a farfetched idea, even for him, because Celeste would never allow such a degrading and immoral thing to happen. Eric thought about the night not to long ago where he had her in his grasp. He so desperately wanted to take her that night, but because of his desire to make the evening she does finally yield to him mind blowing and wonderful, he decided to bite his tongue and wait it out. Eric remembered that evening so vividly as he stood there, leaning against the jet, that he was not surprised when a growing bulge in his pants started to appear. He looked at it briefly and rolled his eyes; it surprised him and pissed him off that Celeste, a woman that he had only touched a few times, could have such a tremendous effect on him.

He knew that she would be amazing once he took her. The minor taste he had of her the other night only fueled his desire and drive more to get her in bed with him. Eric would be pulling out all of his tricks and slowly but surely move further in their sexual relationship.

Eric started to zone out as he imagined the previous night with Celeste again. Her body wrapped close around him, her arms digging into his bare shoulders, making growl in pleasure, the sweet sounds that fell from her irresistible lips were like the purest drug to him, driving him insane, her hooded eyes filled with lust and desire as she looked at him, and the one thing he absolutely loved most about her was the way she bit her bottom lip while he plunged his fingers inside her. His body shook at the thoughts and the small bulge turned into a full on erection, causing Eric to curse himself. _Why must I do this to myself? _ He thought. His fingers tapped harder against his bicep as he waited impatiently for Celeste.

"Eric." Eric turned toward the jet door to see Bill Compton stepping out. "Is Celeste here yet?" He said while walking down the steps.

"Unfortunately no." He replied in aggravation. The last thing he need was Compton ranting on to him about what time Celeste should have arrived.

"Well, she does have a little time left I suppose." He said while glancing down at his watch. "Which gives me just enough time to converse with you." He looked at Eric, whom glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "If I may." Bill quickly added.

"What is it that you wish to talk to me about?" Eric said without turning his attention to him.

"About you and Celeste, unless it is something you do not desire to discuss."

"That is a topic you should refrain from bringing up." Eric stood up and shoved his hands into his jean pockets, giving Bill his full attention. "However, what is it that you wish to ask of Celeste and I? Out of curiosity."

"All I wanted to know is what your relationship with her is. Simply put. Unless it to delicate a matter than I understand." Eric stifled a smirk at his statement and thought about it. Their situation was a delicate one. It was a kind that others should not know about, however, Eric was very tempted to tell others just to see what Celeste would do . . . to him anyway.

"My relationship is not delicate it is . . . inappropriate." He said with a grin.

"How do you mean?" Bill asked with a baffled expression.

"You would not understand. And you don't need to. I do suggest that you do not ask of anything from Celeste or tell her of our little conversation. She would not like me telling anyone about our relationship." Eric said in the same monotone voice that he always had when he talked to Bill. Bill though about this information for a moment and agreed with Eric before returning back to the jet. Eric wasn't sure if he had done the right thing. At that moment he wanted to tell Bill everything just to see what Celeste would do, but he thought that it would be best if he waited to tell the others once he had achieved his goal. He was about to lean against the jet again when he heard the familiar sound of high heels against gravel. He turned around toward the gate and saw Celeste, walking briskly over to the jet with the same boots she had worn the first night he saw her.

Eric took a few steps around the plane, his hands still in his pockets and looked at her. Her wavy hair was intricately pinned up the way a princess would wear it to a ball, the only thing she was missing was a crown around her head. He gave her a quick once over and immediately liked what he saw. She wore a jean skirt that went to her mid thigh, her boots covering the rest of her legs for the most part, a long white tank top with a green cardigan about the same length over it. He watched her breasts lightly move left and right as she made her way over to him. A few feet away from him, one of the workers took Celeste's suitcase and carried it to the jet.

"I am so sorry I'm late." Her face was flustered and red as she apologized to him, her chest heaving up and down as she caught her breath.

"Where have you been?"

"I had to take care of a few things, say goodbye to a few people. You know." She smiled and walked around him, only to stop suddenly when his hand clutched her wrist. Eric pulled her back to him, forcing Celeste to face him. "You seriously need to stop doing that." She said, shaking her hand away. Eric looked intently at her and imagined how easy it would be to repeat the same even from the night before.

"You look delicious right now, I could just eat you." He pulled her closer to him. Celeste could feel his erection through his jeans and looked down at it, then looked back at him.

"You're friend is poking me." She said with a smirk.

"Well he has been doing that quite often, but yet you insist on not doing anything about it." He replied with a matching smirk.

"I've been thinking," Celeste pressed her body closer to him, putting pressure against Eric's erection. Eric held back a groan in his throat and listened and watched her. "What happened a few nights ago . . . it was really wonderful."

"Every night could be just as wonderful if you yield to me." He challenged.

"I know. And I really want to." Celeste said while biting her bottom lip, causing Eric's erection to twitch.

"Just say it then." Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, one of his hands slowly sliding down to grasp her ass. "I'll make you never want another man in your life." He lightly squeezed and relished at the slight increase in pressure against his erection.

"I know. But again, I've been thinking. And I still think you took it too far."

"I can go much much farther little one, you soon shall see." He said with a sexy smirk that Celeste feel like jelly. Even though she was still unaware of the bond they had, she felt her arousal grow and her desire to feel him touching her and his lips against her flesh and his fingers deep inside her. Eric could sense it and knew that he wouldn't have to do much anymore to get her ready for him. Celeste wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to her. She grazed her lips against his, sending the familiar sensations throughout her body that she loved to feel so much. Eric pressed his lips closer to her, but Celeste pulled back so that their lips faintly touched. "You enjoy teasing me?" He asked in a husky voice, filled with desire and lust. Celeste captured his bottom lip between her teeth and lightly pulled before letting go and brushing his lips again.

"Mmm, absolutely." She moaned for effect. Eric pushed himself against her completely, but , instead of getting the expected kiss that he had been waiting desperately for, he found his lips pressed against a smooth surface and the hand that had once been on her ass grasped nothing. Eric looked at Celeste and saw a large smile on her face. He took a step back and finally realized that she put her field back up again. Eric cursed himself. Her giggling figure pissed him off and he was ready to charge at her, but suddenly remembered what happened last time.

"You cannot have that field up forever." He said in a biting and bitter tone.

"No. But I can do as I please now." She said in a serious tone. "I hope you enjoyed your little taste of me. Because from this moment on, don't be expecting it or anything else again."

"What are you getting at?" He said in confusion.

"That little stunt you pulled pissed me off. And honestly, because of it, you're not getting anything. Not even a kiss. You are not going to touch me until you beg me to touch you." Celeste looked down at Eric's erection. "And make sure you tell your little friend that, I want to make sure he understand as well." Celeste turned on her heel and went up the steps to the jet. Eric was still registering what she had said. Celeste Monroe was not going to allow Eric Northman to touch her . . . at all? That sad part was was that Eric knew that Celeste could pull it off and that she would. He shoved his hands back into his pockets and muttered a few curses under his breath before entering the jet and finally departing to their first destination: Los Vegas.


	8. Chap 8: Los Vegas

**Chapter 8: Los Vegas, an Old Friend, and a Game**

It didn't take much for Sookie Stackhouse to realize something was wrong with Eric. Normally, nothing would faze him and even if it did he wouldn't show it, however, she could tell, just by the look in his eyes that something was up. They arrived in Los Vegas at ten p.m.; during the day flight Bill and Eric departed to a hidden sleeping area made specifically for them somewhere in the far back of the jet where no sunlight could get in at all. During that time Sookie took her time getting to know Celeste, no matter how much she didn't want to, she did so anyway. She started out with basic questions: what's your favorite color? How do you like Bon Temps? How did you and Eric meet? Those kinds of things, but when Sookie started to dig deeper, Celeste's answers became more vague.

"What about your parents?" Sookie had asked. She analyzed and watched Celeste intently as she waited for an answer. Celeste looked off into the distance and a look of dread consumed her, but quickly disappeared before Sookie could make anything significant out of it. Celeste cleared her throat and rolled her eyes before replying.

"They're dead." She said simply, but from how she acted before answering Sookie could tell that it was complicated and a delicate situation for her.

"I-I'm sorry." Sookie slightly stuttered. "I didn't know."

"You never asked. But it doesn't matter." Celeste stretched out her limbs in the soft seat. "That was a long time ago."

"What happened?" Sookie's skin felt cold and hard as Celeste shot her a hard and dangerous look that would make even the strongest man feel a tinge of fear claw its way down his spine. Sookie sank back in her seat. After a long second that seemed to last for hours, Celeste's gaze rose the ceiling, immediately softening. "If you don't want to talk about it than I understand. When my Gran died, I was absolutely heartbroken and terrified. When I found her body, lying in cold blood on the floor by the front door, it was the most horrendous and despairing moment of my life. I still can't get the image out of my head. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her."

"Well at least you weren't forced to watch her die." The sentence slipped out of Celeste's mouth before she could stop it. She glanced at Sookie then looked back at the ceiling.C_Shit, I've done it now. _

"What do you mean?" Sookie leaned closer to Celeste. "You were forced to watch your parents be murdered?" She said in the high-pitched annoying voice that Celeste hated so much.

"Don't worry about it. It's none of your business."

***

Sookie glanced over at Celeste from the corner of her eye, remembering what happened on the jet just before they landed and just before Eric and Bill decided to get up. She pushed the thought away when Bill took her hand in his and guided her forward through the crowed of upbeat and drinking people. She looked back at Eric and Celeste, she could see that Eric was trying to do the same for her, however, there was something that was preventing him from doing so. Celeste quickened her step suddenly and caught up with Bill and Sookie, Eric right on her heels. They stopped at an intersection and waited for the flashing red hand that indicated "no walking" to turn into the glowing white person, giving them permission.

"Where exactly is your business Eric?" Bill asked, looking over his shoulder at him.

"No need to worry about that. Tonight we enjoy what the city has to offer and worry about business tomorrow." He said with a grin. He tried to take Celeste's hand in his again, but failed when she put her field back up. Celeste remembered Los Vegas very well. She had only been there a few times, but she made a lot of enemies on those occasions. She could constantly feel eyes on her and whispers with her name. She knew it had been a mistake to come, but she had convinced herself that it wouldn't bother her and that no one would go looking for her once word got out about her arrival. But she knew she was dead wrong. And that's exactly what she would be if she didn't leave the damned city soon. Celeste surrounded her entire body with her field, shielding herself from all possible angles. Her eyes darted across the streets and many faces of the people, not looking for anything in particular. When she stepped it was careful, as if not to set a hidden trap. She knew she was going to have a hell of a time there, whether it would be good or bad had yet to unfold.

"Are you alright?" Celeste was abruptly taken out of her trance. She looked around and noticed that Eric was no longer beside her; he was actually some ways ahead of them, turning their slow and leisurely walk into one of catch-up. She looked to her side to see Bill Compton, looking very concerned.

"Umm, yeah. I'm fine." Celeste smiled and pushed back a strand of hair, picking up her pace as she did. "It's just that I haven't been here in a while."

"You have been to Los Vegas before?" He asked with surprise and a tinge of admiration, from what she could tell. She glanced over at Sookie, who seemed to ignore the fact that her eternal partner and Celeste were talking at all and distracted herself by looking up at the neon signs and many sights that Los Vegas had to offer.

"Once, or twice_." Two times to many_, she thought in the back of her mind. "But it was all mostly business, like this."

"Do you regularly travel to far off vampire bars for business?" He said, which was suppose to be funny, but really wasn't. It was like one of those cheesy jokes on the wooden Popsicle sticks after you finish having one; it was stupid and tacky but you couldn't help but laugh at it.

"Something like that." She said through small fits of laughter and quickly caught up with Eric. When she stepped beside him, he did not acknowledge her presence at all, instead he eyed the crowed; from what Celeste could infer was that he was looking for a nice meal that would satisfy him temporarily, most likely looking for the sleaziest woman on the street that didn't have Hep C. "That blonde over there looks delicious." Celeste said, pointing to a woman standing outside a stripper club. She was attractive, in that porn star "everyone rides me" kind of way. But Celeste never judged a person based off what they liked in other people, especially if it was a porn star in training.

Eric didn't even glance in the woman's direction at all or at any of the women Celeste pointed out. Soon she began to understand. Eric was the kind of man that needed contact . . . all the time. Whether it be holding a hand, brushing a cheek, kissing, or just having sex; overall, Eric was needy, even though he didn't come off that way to most. But Celeste believed she knew Eric fairly well.

"You know you're only getting what you deserve." She said with a smirk.

"And what exactly did I do to deserve this?" Celeste saw Eric glance back at Sookie and Bill from the corner of her eye. She knew exactly what he was trying to do.

"You know exactly what you did."

"I seem to have forgotten. Maybe if you gave me a hint than I could remember the deed I did that was so bad." He said with a faint grin. The group weaved their way through the growing crowed and stopped by a few street vendors to get something to drink, for Sookie and Celeste anyway.

Celeste sipped on freckled strawberry lemonade, her face scrunching up due to the intense sourness that was barely mitigated by the sweet strawberries at the bottom. "Maybe it is best that you don't remember. We wouldn't want you to repeat the same act again now would we?"

"On the contrary, my memory is perfect. I remember every detail from that evening." Eric stepped closer to Celeste, and would have touched her if not for her field that stood out a few inches away from her body. Instead, he slightly opened the bond, as if cracking open a large metal gate just enough to let the slightest breeze roll in. He could immediately feel and see the effects it had on her. Celeste stood more erect and her thighs squeezed together lightly. Her breathing turned irregular only to those that could hear as clearly as vampires. Her hands that held the lemonade clutched it, causing the plastic cup to make cracking and popping noises.

Eric lowered his head closer to Celeste's ear, his cheek slightly rubbing against the field. "I remember you." He began in a sexy and seductive voice that made Celeste's thighs tighten more. "I remember the clothes you wore. The look in your eyes. How angry and mad you were at me. But most importantly, the sounds you made and how you clung to me, silently begging for more . . ." Both were immediately drawn back to the night; Eric's body pressed against Celeste's on the wall, their kisses feverish and urgent, his erection rubbing against her inner thigh, the way Celeste moaned once Eric plunged his fingers into her and made her scream in delight. "How your walls gripped my-"

Celeste suddenly pushed her field out further, causing Eric to take a few steps back. "Don't." Was all she said before she walked off, the others following behind in unison. Eric smirked inwardly as he watched her saunter away from him. He looked at the clothes she was wearing again; the black boots that went up to her knees and the jean skirt that grazed the skin of her mid-thigh, The white shirt that hugged her body, squeezing to every inch of her skin, while the Cardigan was loose and fitting. At that moment he knew how simple it would be to simply slip his hand up her taunting skirt and either grasp her ass in his large hand, or easily slip his fingers past her panties and finger her, even if it was for the briefest second. Eric started to imagine himself doing so; pretending to stand in a line, his body pressed close against her back, surprising her when his fingers found her womanhood and began to work their magic. He could imagine Celeste biting on her fingers, her face flustering, her thighs rubbing together at the sudden pleasure, her hand tugging at the hem of her skirt.

Eric laughed at himself for concocting such erotic scenarios. It was one of many fantasies that he had created since his first meeting with Celeste, and decided that he would make at least three of them come true if not all of them. He followed briskly behind her while Sookie and Bill looked in awe at the great buildings and the many spectacles Los Vegas had to offer. He looked back at them for the briefest moment, and when he looked back to Celeste, she was nowhere to be seen. His calm and collected expression changed into anger immediately. Eric scanned past the bobbing heads, looking everywhere for hers in particular. With his vampire speed, he made his way through the people, hearing shouts of protest from Bill in the background. He sped past through the crowed, and in the corner of his eye he picked up the image of something green moving to his right. Eric registered it at Celeste's green cardigan and quickly followed, only to stop short at the entrance of a burlesque club called the_ Boom Boom Room._ Eric looked at the sign, then at the entrance. _What is she doing here?_

***

Celeste sat down at a table in the car corner of the club, completely hidden in darkness. The clouds of gray smoke from prime cigars, the sound of platform heels clanking against hardwood floor, and the distinct image of not knowing the identity of customers there; some were the regular tourists that came for a good time, while some were the prestigious lawyers, the married construction worker, and every now and then a psychologist. She remembered the club very clearly; it was where a lot of deals went down and where a lot of people got hurt. She looked across the table at her old friend, Steadman Kemp. He hadn't changed much since she last saw him, which was about three or four years ago. He still had the jet black hair with the green eyes, the toned, athletic body. His pointed nose he got from a fight and chiseled jaw with a five o' clock shadow with a large scar that ran down from right cheek bone to the corner of his lip were still there.

Steadman slumped back in the plush seat and looked at Celeste. "When I heard you were here I got concerned." He said simply.

"I don't see why." Celeste rolled her eyes. "How did you know I was here anyway?"

"One of my buddies works at the airport. He keeps records of who comes and goes; when your name popped up on a list he gave me a call. At first I didn't believe him but when he started given me information about you . . . well you can figure out the rest."

"So what do you want?" Her voice was cold to her old friend; Celeste hadn't forgotten how he betrayed her.

"I want to know what you're doing here." He leaned forward on the table, his hands clasped together.

"What does it matter to you? You're the one that wanted me gone. It's because of you I had to leave in the first place."

"Celeste there are a lot of people looking for you. Bennie's looking for you, Andrew, Philistia, and even Malcolm."

"Why? They still haven't gotten over what I did to them? Or didn't do rather?" Celeste asked.

"Celeste when you left, you left a lot of people pissed off. You did things you weren't supposed to and people died."

"It wasn't my fault that the deal was dirty." She said as an explanation.

"Yes it was. You couldn't carry out the orders given to you. You got emotionally involved and it clouded your judgment. You fucked up. Period. "Steadman said.

There was a long moment of silence. Celeste tried not to be angry with him, she knew he was right. She had been given an order that she couldn't carry out, but as a result some else, Steadman, did the job for her. Celeste chewed on the corner of her mouth.

"You said Malcolm's looking for me." She said suddenly.

"He is." Steadman replied with a heavy breath.

"Do you know who he's sending?"

"No. But I did get word he sent out five people tonight. All of them are supposed to be looking for you."

"Do you know what orders he gave them?" Celeste dropped her head in her hands. She knew it was a mistake to ask, but she had to know for sure. Steadman didn't reply right away. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before replying:

"Close the deal."

Celeste took a moment to take in all of the new information. People were looking for her, and they planned on killing her. Whether or not she would give them the chance was not the question; whether or not she knew who they were was the real question. If she knew who was looking for her, than she would know how to evade and survive. She was very familiar with a lot of people, since they all did the same job. Celeste needed to know who Malcolm sent to finish her off before it was too late.

"I need you to do a favor for me." She said.

"I'll find out who they are, don't worry." Steadman said with a smile before she could request it from him.

"Okay; find out by tomorrow night and meet me at the burlesque club twenty-one blocks from here as soon as the sun goes down."

"Alright." Steadman was the first to leave. It was just like old times for Celeste; quick meetings that lasted less than ten minutes, fast and strait to the point. She missed those times every now and then, but she started to remember how dangerous that life she had used to be. There was a high chance she could die on any job given to her, and they were usually the hard ones. She got up from the booth five minutes later and exited the _Boom Boom Room._

_***_

"_Eric?" Celeste said as she bumped into him at the entrance of the Burlesque club. "What are you doing here?" She became slightly nervous at the idea that he might have been inside while she talked to Steadman. The last thing she needed with him interrogating her on everything. She waited for him to reply as he scanned the area behind her, looking through the fog of smoke and the flashing lights._

"_What were you doing in there?" He asked sternly._

"_I ran into a friend." Celeste replied. "She's one of the workers here so I though I would drop by." She lied. Eric analyzed her with a critical eye._

"_It would be best not to stray from the group." Eric turned on his heel, expecting Celeste to follow immediately._

_***_

_After a few hours of discovering and playing in Los Vegas, everyone retired to the hotel: Hotel Allegra. It was one of many vampire hotels internationally, but it was one of the first that Celeste had actually been to. Bill, Sookie, and Celeste waited in the lobby as Eric checked them in. Celeste watched as the woman at the front desk immediately recognized him and began cajoling him. Celeste looked over at Sookie and Bill and momentarily felt like a chaperon. Both were easily fascinated with their surroundings and Celeste was annoyed by it. Before Celeste could bear it no more, Eric returned with the room keys._

"_You shall be staying in room 952. I hope you will not get lost finding it." He said, handing the white and gold plastic card to Bill. "We will meet tomorrow at ten tomorrow night; here. Don't be late."_

"_I assume that you have a separate room for Celeste?" Sookie said suddenly, looking from Celeste to Eric. Eric glanced down at Celeste and grinned. _

"_Of course. It's a special room I think she will rather enjoy." Sookie nodded her head in response and took Bill's hand, ushering him towards the elevator._

"_A special room?" Celeste said, shifter her weight on her left leg and crossing her arms over her chest once Bill and Sookie were out of sight. "What exactly makes it so special?" Eric licked his bottom lip and smirked._

"_You soon shall see."_

_Eric opened the suit door and gestured for Celeste to enter first. The first thing she laid her eyes upon was the giant bedroom. The walls were a light bronze color that glowed in the florescent lights that hung slightly from the ceiling. Along the right wall were two large windows with bronze and light peach curtain striped patterns on them, complementing the walls. A small cheery oak desk with to whicker seats stood out from the wall. On the far left wall were two shutters that covered a large walk in closet and a hallway that lead to the bathroom and small kitchen area. And at the farthest end of the room was a king sized bed with crème sheets and a large thick blanket. Four plush pillows rested against the head board and two night stands, one on either side, made the bed stand out. It was possibly one of the most immaculate rooms Celeste had ever been in, or would ever be in. The wonderful room made Celeste feel warm and calm inside, which was a very good thing._

_Celeste entered the room and looked around it. She ran her hands across the cheery oak desk and lightly smiled. Eric was right, it was a special room, but not for the reasons he believed._

"_You like it I assume." He said as he entered and closed the door behind him._

"_Very much. Is Bill and Sookie's room like this?"_

"_To an extent." He said with a grin. Eric watched her intently as she sat down on the bed and ran her hands across the blanket. He imagined taking her then and there, since it was the perfect setting and she looked mouth watering in front of him, but held back. Eric glanced down at his watch, it was three in the morning, he had two hours to spend with her until he had to rest, which he did not find appealing whatsoever. He watched her as she laid back on the bed, her thighs slightly opening, revealing sexy black booty shorts that hugged her ass in a way that made Eric want to bite her. His hand clenched into a fist at his side as he struggled to control himself._

_Celeste was in his bed, lying like a defenseless animal about to be sacrificed. She had no idea what the mere image was doing to him, and he loved it so._

"_You enjoy teasing me." He stated. Celeste lifted herself up on her elbows and looked at him._

"_I have no idea what you are talking about." She said innocently._

"_Of course you don't." he replied with a smirk. Celeste shifted her weight back and forth on her elbows, contemplating something._

"_Besides, if I was it wouldn't be in such trivial ways." She said with a smirk._

"_What are you trying to imply?" Eric sat down in one of the whicker seats._

"_I'm implying that, If I am going to tease a man, I wouldn't do it with just my presence."_

"_I am not just any man." Eric replied. Which was true, Eric was more than a man. However, he still took offense to the idea that Celeste would pursue and taught any man but him. Celeste took a moment before replying. She had an idea of what she wanted to do, but whether or not she should do it was the question. She knew Eric had less self-control than her, but that is what made it so appealing. She could drive him on the verge in just the first night._

"_Eric," Celeste sat up, tucking her legs under her buttocks. "I want to play a game with you."_

"_And what would that be?"_

"_I want to see how much you can control yourself." She said simply. Celeste brought down her field and slowly began to undress herself in front of Eric, her dark eyes locked on his._

"_What are you doing?" Eric said with arousing alarm. His erection which had been pulsing behind his jeans since they entered the room strained at the idea of Celeste finally giving herself to him._

"_I'm going to have a little fun with myself." She replied with a wicked smile. "But like I said, it's a game. If you can be a good boy, and stay there while I play. Then I can give you a reward. The longer you stay there, the longer the reward." Celeste dropped the cardigan by her side and pulled the white shirt over her head, exposing her plush breasts incased in a low simple black bra. It had been a while since Eric had seen her breasts and he nearly jumped at them and the sight of her half nude._

"_And what exactly would these rewards be?" He said while watching her. Celeste bit her bottom lip and slowly began to unzip her boots._

"_What you enjoy doing most: touching me." She slipped one boot off, a loud thunk reverberating through the room as it dropped to the ground._

"_It sounds easy enough." He said, accepting the challenge._

"_At the beginning it does." She slipped the other boot off and carefully unbuttoned her jean skirt with such an agonizing slowness that Eric wanted to rip it off. "But once you get ahead, it becomes more difficult." Celeste stood up and dropped her skirt down, leaving only her matching bra and booty shorts on. She crept down to all fours, her eyes locked on his, and tossed her hair over one side of her shoulder, giving him the perfect view of her breasts. "I am going to have my guard down the entire time Eric." She said in a seductive voice as she began moving her hips in a small circular motion._

"_Really." His hands found the armrests and slightly gripped them as he watched her hips._

"_Mmhm. But if you do something you're not suppose to, then the games over. Do you understand?"_

"_Completely. Shall we begin?"_

"_We already have."_


	9. Chap 9: Revelations

A/N: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed, I really appreciate it. Also, I plan on getting the chapters out faster since my ideas keep on coming unexpectedly and I need to move along as well. So thanks, enjoy the chapter and review

**Chapter 9: Revelations**

Eric had no idea what he had gotten himself into. He had always imagined Celeste putting on a little show for him then ravaging her body once he got his daily dose of simply admiring her and looking at her goddess like figure that he so loved to claim for himself. Not only that, he was never fond of games; he hated beating around the bush and preferred to get strait to the point, which in Celeste's case would be having extremely primitive sex. But he would make an exception at Celeste's proposal.

Eric relaxed in his chair, his hands resting limply on the arm rest as Celeste slowly but surely began to work. Unconsciously, he took in a deep breath and silently waited, watching her every move intently with a keen eye (which he had to thank for being a vampire). From where he sat in the wicker chair, Eric could see the curves and hills of her pale skin, lightly kissed by her smooth fingertips that barely touched the flesh he so desperately wanted to feel against his own. Her hands moved slowly down her body, beginning at her neck and gently traveled downward at such an agonizing rate that Eric began twitching in his seat, barely noticeable to the naked eye.

Celeste looked at Eric and smirked, knowing very well how he was feeling at the moment. She had only played the game a few times in her past, mainly when she had to infiltrate a facility run by a disgusting pedophile that sold drugs and did illegal business over seas, however, she did admit silently that she was enjoying the game with Eric. Her hands slid over the fabric of her bra, encasing her supple breasts that Eric glanced at with lust then quickly looked away. They slid down her smooth stomach, a cold sensation electrifying her resulting in a shallow gasp that exploded in Eric's' ear, even if he pretended not to hear it. Her fingers slipped under the elastic of her shorts and quickly snapped it against her flesh, the sound reverberating through the room. Eric sat more erect in his seat as her hands slid through her closed thighs, slowly pushing them apart, gently rubbing the inside causing her to give out a slight moan. Celeste continued this act for what felt like hours to Eric. He watched her fiercely repeat the same act, producing more moans every now and then from the feel of her own hands against her sensitive skin. Eric wished that it was his hands that was traveling her body, putting every touch and detail of her flesh to memory like an ancient map that was about to be destroyed by flames.

Celeste glanced back down at him, biting her bottom lip and lifted herself on her elbows so both could see each other perfectly. Her eyes smoldered into dark smoke and in a delicate, but also seductive manner, curled her finger at him, calling him forth. Eric remembered that in order to win he had to control himself; he couldn't do anything irrational or follow his impulse like he usually would, he had to be stern and careful in his action. Eric stood up and walked with purpose in each of his steps. He watched Celeste's eyes give him a very slow once-over, stopping momentarily at the dent in his pants that he did not try to hide whatsoever. Eric kneeled down at the foot of the bed, a few inches away from Celeste. His hands carefully swept up her leg and when she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, he knew it was his turn. His lips gently collided with her flesh, making a slow and steady trek up her right leg, spending some extra time on her inner thigh. He delicately kissed the inside receiving a shutter from Celeste's lips that only urged him forward. Eric continued his journey of her body, patiently taking his time, which was difficult for him to do around her, and calling forth a small moan of gratification that made him wished they had played sooner. His lips grazed her stomach, his hands holding her waist in place, and lightly nipped at her skin, continuing to move up, closer to his target. Once her tempting breasts came into view he used as much self-discipline inside him to keep moving forward, he felt it would be best to have them when they were not trapped inside the horrible human invention to keep them hidden from his eye. Eric nipped at Celeste's collar bone, drawing ever nearer to his destination. His lips found her neck quickly, lightly sucking and kissing the fragile skin he wished to seep his fangs in, but nonetheless, continued moving forward, marking her jaw line with the same gentle kisses he had marked the rest of her body with. Eric leaned back on his knees, slowly lifting her legs around his waist; if they had been naked he would have had perfect access to her which would have made for a very interesting position. Celeste opened her eyes and looked at him, her gaze encasing him in a coffin of lust while his own surely did the same to her. She chewed the bottom corner of her lip as Eric leaned toward her, her legs still around his waist keeping her slightly elevated. One of his hands balanced his weight on the side while the other slid behind her neck, drawing her closer to him.

Eric's lips were gentle and sweet against hers, not urgent and strong like the past times. Celeste knew that he was taking his time, that he wanted to experience everything he could in the short allotment she gave him. Eric kissed her tenderly, slowly licking her bottom lip as if asking for entrance. Celeste complied with the same tenderness, gradually opening her mouth, granting Eric permission. From only those few minutes, it could be seen from any uninterested unknown third-party member that there was much passion between them that had yet to be discovered. Inside Celeste and Eric there were secrets and hidden pasts, however, there were also broken souls that had no hope at reconciliation, there were hopes and dreams that wanted to be fulfilled, and most importantly a deep desire to give and be given love, even though neither believed in the four letter word.

After deepening the kiss only a few seconds, Celeste lightly pushed against Eric's chest. "Enough." Eric was more than prepared to continue what he was doing and fought with her for a few moments, the simmering passion withering away at his influx of defiance. Like a child he sat back down in the wicker seat and waited with anticipation to be given permission again. Celeste started to wonder how long he would actually hold out and decided that it would be best to speed things up, or else they wouldn't get any where.

***

Sam Merlotte didn't know what to do. He contemplated for the last four hours whether or not to call Celeste. He didn't like how things ended before she left and beat the shit out of himself for being such a coward. He sat on his bed, phone in hand, his thumb hovering over the green talk button which would dial her phone number. He looked at the number for a long minute.

"What the hell are you going to do Sam?" He started talking to himself. "What are you going to say? 'Hey Cici, how are you doing? How was your flight? Did Eric try to fuck you yet?'" Sam closed his phone and threw it on the side of the bed. He combed his fingers through his hair in frustration and got up to go back to the bar. He was just about to leave his trailer when he saw Tara leaning against his kitchen counter.

"What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you heard of knocking?" His strife started to show on his face and through his voice. Tara went over to the door and banged on it three times before crossing her arms over her chest.

"There. You happy?" She said in her natural pissed off tone.

"What the hell are you doing here? You're not suppose to be working tonight." He asked again.

"I know. But I got tired of staying at home with my stupid-ass mother so decided to work anyway. I need something to do."

"And you couldn't wait in the bar to do all this?"

"I was." She retorted. "But I heard you yelling in here so I just came to see how you were doin'."

"I wasn't yelling." He said defensively, or at least he didn't think he was.

"Don't lie to me Sam. I was walking by and all I hear is 'fuck this and fuck that and shit and damn it to hell and whatever else you while people say when you're mad."

"Tara I don't need your bullshit right now." He grabbed the keys to his trailer off the counter and went outside, Tara following behind him.

"What bullshit?" She asked to his back as he locked his trailer. "I'm only here because I'm bored Sam and I need something to do." Sam stuffed the keys in his pocket and headed toward the bar.

"Well go bother someone else if you're so fuckin' bored!" He yelled over his shoulder at her. Tara stopped of shock and looked at his back with dark eyes. She followed him in a brisk pace and before she could make a rebuttal he was already inside and headed to the back. Tara let out a frustrated and exasperated breath once she entered the bar and went over to her cousin in the kitchen.

"Lafayette. What the hell is wrong with Sam?" She looked in the direction Sam went then back at her cousin.

"Baby girl didn't you hear?" He said with a grin.

"Hear what?"

"Cici gone!" Lafayette said a bit more enthusiastically than he should have.

"She left already?" Tara leaned over the tin counter in disbelief.

"Hell yeah. She came by before she left."

"So what that got to do with anything?" She asked. Lafayette immediately stopped flipping the row of raw hamburger meat and looked at his cousin like she was the most mentally challenged person in the world. He pointed his metal spatula at her and said a few things under his breath before answering her question.

"Sam didn't want Celeste to go,"

"None of us did." Tara interjected.

"Bitch shut the fuck up and let me tell you what happened." Lafayette snapped. Tara rolled her eyes and listening to her cousin. "Last night I was waiting for her to come over when Sam and I started talking about her and how he had an elementary school crush on her." Tara nodded her head, following what he was saying. "Then she came by and I decided to leave them alone for a while and that's when Sam took her to the back. They talked for a while and when she came out I could tell she was pissed, but I asked her anyway if Sam said anything. Cici being Cici automatically knew that I put him up to it and started yelling at me while Sam comes out, looking like someone just took a shit on his face."

"Do you know what they talked about?" Tara asked.

"Most likely Eric. But anyway, she left and I went over to Sam, and I asked him what happened. He refused to tell me but said that he fucked up and now he had no chance of getting her."

Tara rested her arms on the counter and thought about the information. She knew Sam liked Celeste, but didn't realize how much until now. He was mad that she chose a vampire over him, sad because she actually left, and pissed off at himself for coming off as such an asshole over the whole matter. Tara drummed her fingers on the counter and looked at Lafayette.

"Does he know when she's coming back?"

"Nope. But I'm sure he'll be one of the first mutha fucka's to find out." He replied with a grin.

***

Sookie laid down on the bed, still thinking about what happened earlier that day. She couldn't wrap her fingers around what Celeste said on the plane or what she said to Bill. She was forced to watch her parents be murdered and had been to Los Vegas before, yet she didn't tell anyone. Sookie looked at the ceiling and replayed the days events in her head, trying to read between the lines.

"You look like you're concentrating." Bill emerged from the bathroom after take a shower. Sookie sat up Indian style and looked at him. His hair was slicked back from the water and his body glistened like tiny crystals. For the briefest second he reminded her of Eric, however, she quickly pushed the repulsive thought away. Bill sat down next to her on the bed and rest his hand upon her knee. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing that's important." She lied.

"Well it must be important if you were trying to burn holes through the ceiling with your eyes." He said with a faint grin that was meant to reassure, but instead confused Sookie. "Come on," He laid her back on the bed, his body completely dry from the arid climate, and pulled her close to him. "What is it that bothers you so?" Sookie nuzzled her head against his hard chest and let out a deep breath before replying.

"Earlier today, while you and Eric were sleeping, I talked to Celeste."

"And this bothers you?" Bill looked down at her.

"No. It's what she said that bothers me." Sookie replied hesitantly.

"What was it?"

"Well, I asked her about her parents and she told me they died." Bill pulled her closer to him, taking in the gravity of the situation and his beloveds emotions. "When I asked her what happened she didn't say anything, so I started talking about Gran and how I felt when I found her. When I finished she said 'At least you weren't forced to watch her die.' and when I asked her what she meant she said not to worry about it and that it was none of my business."

"Sookie," Bill combed his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. "You can't expect her to talk about it simply because you asked her to. Yes, there is something in common between you two, but if Celeste truly had to observe her parents demise than you must understand that it was a tragic and traumatizing experience . . . Something she may never wish to recall."

"I understand that but-"

"There are not buts. You must be sensitive to her feelings and acknowledge that she had a completely different experience of death from you. I couldn't even imagine what she must have been through."

"But there is something else." Sookie sat up and tucked her knees under her buttocks while Bill sank deep into the bed. "She never told us that she had been here before."

"I do not understand where you are going with this?" He said nonchalantly.

"Why wouldn't Celeste tell us that she has been to Los Vegas before?"

"She was probably being humble and didn't want to ruin our perception of the city with her past experiences here." Bill scooted back towards the pillows and closed his eyes.

"I don't think so. Celeste doesn't seem like the kind of person to be humble; I wonder if she even knows what the word means."

"Sookie," Bill perched himself up on one elbow. "I do not understand why you are reading into this so much. If you are curious about Celeste then go ask her instead of coming up with assumptions that have no bases."

"Who's side are you on?" Sookie yelled suddenly standing up on the bed.

"I am on you're side of course. I just think you are making assumptions off of nothing."

"I am serious Bill! I think there are a lot of things Celeste isn't telling us and it makes me nervous." Bill pulled Sookie over to him and easily condoled her.

"Alright then. If Celeste makes you uneasy that I will talk to her."

"No. I want to talk to her."

"Sookie I think it would be best if I did." Bill convinced her to let him to talk to Celeste and decided that if it was what Sookie wanted, if Celeste made her uncomfortable and concoct strange things in that unique head of hers, then maybe there was something Celeste was hiding from them.

***

It did not take long for Eric Northman to fall into Celeste's trap of seduction and deception. Only a few minutes had passed and he had touched her countless times for a few seconds only to be pushed away roughly by her field. He sat in the wicker seat, his nerves and senses going ballistic as he watched her please herself with her fingers. Her moans reverberated off the walls and bounced back into Eric's ear along with her gasps of delight. He watched her fingers move faster inside her wishing they were his own.

Through most of the entire game, their eyes had been locked until his gaze became to unbearable for Celeste to endure. Every now and then she would glance at him, meeting his scorching eyes and pushed her further into her delight. Her face became flustered and her heart raced in her chest. But suddenly, the game became a little more intense when Eric's phone ringed. He did not acknowledge the ring tone or the vibration in his pants. Celeste looked at his pocket, which she could hardly see since the table blocked her view.

"Answer it." She said in between a moan.

"I'd rather not. I'm enjoying the moment very much right now." His voice was husky and filled with desire.

"Answer it." Celeste gasped and bit her finger. Eric reluctantly picked his phone out of his pocket and answered.

"Hello?" He said in an annoyed and aggravated tone.

"Why didn't you call me when you landed?" It was Pam. Eric could tell by the tone of her voice that she was pissed off and rolled his eyes as if she were directly in front of him. He looked at Celeste, her moans increasing with every touch and slowly started to under stand what she was doing. It wasn't everyday that he got to watch a woman he deeply desired please herself while talking on the phone at the same time, knowing very well that if they got caught he would have a lot , or no, explaining to do. Eric gripped the phone tighter to his ear as he continued to observes Celeste's fingers moving briskly.

"I forgot." Eric tried to come off as careless as possible, but the desire and huskiness of his voice obviously gave him away, whether or not Pam chose to acknowledge it was a different matter.

"Surely it would not kill you to take time out of your precious evening to reassure me that you arrived to your destination without complications Eric." She said acrimoniously. Eric could feel Celeste reaching her climax through the bond and new that it would be a very . . . intense one. The arm rest of the wicker seat began to crackle and pop under his imposing grip. Debris fell to the ground under his wrenching hand, threatening to shatter the antique into pieces.

"Pam. I'm gonna have to call you back." Eric got up from his seat and went to the edge of the bed, his body towering over Celeste.

"Don't Eric. There are some problems that I need to talk with you about." Pam was urgent.

"It can wait." Eric's fingers moved closer to Celeste's womanhood, feeling the heat radiating from her.

"No it can't." Pan almost yelled. "There are some matters that require your immediate attention." Eric hung up before she could continue and with a blind swiftness, nearly plunged his fingers into Celeste only to collide with a smack against her invisible and strong field. Even though he was confronted with his minor set back, he continued to poke and probe at the field hoping that for the briefest second she would let her guard down in the mist of her ecstasy. As Celeste reached the precipice of her climax her back arched violently and the hand she once bit clung to the comforter, pulling a section of it up. Her screams pissed Eric off instead of enticing him. He was angry that she did not allow him to feel her insides and let him please her in some way; he would have found minor relief, but relief nonetheless, at her touch.

After Celeste took a moment to catch her breath she wiped the little perspiration she had on her forehead off and looked at Eric.

"You lose." She said with a satisfied grin.

***

The following evening Celeste vehemently went to the burlesque club as soon as the sun went down. It wasn't a very familiar place people like her were seen doing business, in fact, in the past she had never done business there. She entered the club: Monica's Château, which looked like it came right out of a late 19th century text book. Celeste entered, with the familiar cloud of smoke and the smell of rich alcohol filling her senses. She waved the cloud away and immediately saw Steadman. He sat at a semi-circle booth with a round table in the middle and a pool shooting up from the center to the ceiling. There could be seen an employee doing what she did best: performing. Celeste rolled her eyes and sat down across from Steadman, who didn't glace at her even the slightest, his eyes fixed on the burlesque performer.

"You couldn't get a more . . . private table?" Celeste asked in a caustic tone.

"I was, but decided I wanted to enjoy this new club before getting into anything serious." He replied with a grin. Steadman was always a dog, so it couldn't be helped that he would want to enjoy the leisure's the club had to offer.

"I can't stay long." Celeste said after a long moment of silence. "What do you know?" At this Steadman finally gave Celeste his full attention after giving the dancer a hundred dollar bill and gesturing for her to leave.

"Just so you know Celeste. No one better find out about this."

"Of course not. Now tell me what you know so both of us can get outta here." She pushed.

"Malcolm sent Carter, Amy, Giorgio, Hugh," Steadman hesitated before he spoke the last name. "And Margo." Celeste let out a sharp breath and rolled her eyes, which she seemed to be doing a lot.

"I should have known that son of a bitch would send him."

"Yeah me too. You really need to be careful now, you know as well as I do how Margo is and what he is capable of."

"I know that. The only reason why Malcolm sent him is because he knows that Margo has the best shot out of anyone of taking me out."

"You sure it has nothing to do with your past history with Margo?"

"I'm certain that's another reason why Malcolm sent him. He knows that Margo wants to get even with me and if that means killing me to settle the score then he will." Celeste slouched back into the seat.

"Well what about the others?"

"I don't have to worry about them. They can't touch me unless Malcolm's giving them a new drug. It's only Margo I'm worried about."

"When are you leaving?"

"I don't know. My friend has some business to take care of here. I don't know how long it will take." Steadman leaned over the table and brought his voice down to a whisper.

"At this rate, if you don't leave within the next 48 hours, he's going to find you. And then you'll really be dead."

Celeste shook her head and looked off into the distance. She knew it was a mistake to come, a mistake that might cost her life. "I know. I'll just have to keep my field up at all times and find him before he finds me."

"That won't help."

"I know. But it's better than just waiting around for him to finish me off."

"Celeste I would help you out more. But I'm already putting my neck out there by meeting you."

"I know Steadman. But if it were you in my place, I wouldn't have helped you at all."

"I figured that much. But I do owe you." His head fell slightly. Celeste stood up and stretched out her limbs.

"You could try your entire life to repay for what happened. But I will never forgive you." She exited Monica's Chateaus without a second glance and headed back to the hotel with her field encasing her.


	10. Chap 10: The Hospital

**A/N:** I am soooooooo sorry that it has taken so long to update. This was a really important chapter to me and it's kind of the turning point in the story. If you don't like it i'm sorry, I will work hard to improve, but I can't please everyone so I will do what I can. I hope you enjoy this one and please review, it is greatly appreciated. Oh! And for the record I am loving the reviews I have been getting, it's really great that you guys like what I'm doing and it gives me a lot of motivation to continue. thanks so much - Kam

**Chapter 10: The Hospital**

Celeste was not sure of what to do anymore. She thought about the situation from countless angles but still couldn't come to a logical conclusion. It wasn't like Malcolm to just take someone he was so fond of out. She knew that Margo was the best candidate when it came to killing, second to Celeste, which always pissed him off since he was always second and never in the spotlight. She thought about what Steadman said; she would have less than 48 hours to find Margo or to get out of Los Vegas which was a very short window. She took in a deep breath of fresh air as the tourists started to come out in their smutty clothes and their grungy outfits. She felt a cold breeze move with strange swiftness down her back and quickly looked over her shoulder, feeling a foreboding presence around her. She scanned the area with a keen precision; looking at every face, trying the find the distinct feature that would separate Margo from everyone else. In the far off darkness behind her, she felt him watching even though she could not see, but shrugged and continued back for the hotel.

Celeste knew that if Margo figured out she had discovered him he would have to take her out with much haste before she could do anything. So instead, she pretended not to notice. She took in another deep breath.

"I have less time than I thought." She laughed and bit her bottom lip. "Malcolm trained you well Margo . . . he trained you well." She glanced over her shoulder one last time, seeing a glimpse of the giant scar she left behind on Margo's face out of the corner of her eye.

***

"Where is Celeste?" Sookie said after half an hour of waiting in the lobby. She was agitated and frustrated that she was waiting for her; Eric called Sookie and Bill's room telling them to meet him in the lobby at nine instead of ten. It was a little past 9:30 and Sookie tapped her black Christian Dior platform pumps that Bill bought her last night as a gift. Sookie vehemently rejected it once she found out it was a $600 pair of shoes but Bill insisted saying that she deserved nothing but the best and that he it would make him feel better if she accepted his gift.

"I do not know." Replied Eric with the same aggravation but with a hint of curiosity. "When I woke up this evening she wasn't in the room."

"The two of you shared a room?" Sookie's voice came out more disgusted than she intended. The image of Celeste and Eric sharing the same bed crossed her mind and a tint of red appeared on her cheeks.

"Yes. It was very . . . interesting." Eric had a mixed expression of disappointment, frustration, agony, but also joy and delight. Sookie tapped her fingers on the arm rest of the leather seat in annoyance and suddenly stood up.

"I am going to the ladies room." She said before hastily going down the hall and then making a right towards the public bathrooms.

"Bill." Eric said, getting him immediate attention. "How do things fair between you and Sookie?" He looked in the direction Sookie went then to Bill.

"Things are fine." He said in his usual cautious tone whenever Eric spoke of Sookie. "And you and Celeste?"

"Have you thought about turning Sookie?" Eric evaded the question nonchalantly.

"I have no intention of turning her." His voice came off as a growl.

"That's a shame. She would make a beautiful addition to our society."

"You will not touch her Eric!" Bill replied.

"I will touch who I please. And if I want Sookie you cannot reject me of her."

"I will go to the Queen!"

"Try as you may Bill, there are always means to get what I want." Eric looked back in Sookie's direction and smirked. "But at the moment I do not want her. It was simply a thought."

"If not Sookie than who is it that you speak of?"

"Just someone who has been causing me a lot of trouble lately." Eric looked to the front door as it swung open and watched Celeste come in.

***

Eric could be seen clearly, sitting across from Bill with Sookie no where in sight. The glass doors swung open as Celeste stepped inside with confidence and a humility that Gandhi would find similar to his own. The sight of Eric cleared her thoughts of anything that had happened only an hour ago and of the danger she was putting herself and them in. The clip-clop of her heels against the floor emphasized her presence as she stepped closer to the two vampires, Bill finally looking at her for the first time that evening.

"What are you guys doing here?" She stopped in front of them, Eric to her left and Bill to her right creating a triangle.

"I woke up this evening and you were not by my side." Eric stated as if it would explain everything.

"Is that suppose to mean something?" Celeste challenged. She hated feeling like Eric owned her or had much more control over her than she thought. He treated her like a new house everyone wanted to buy, but only he could afford, as a result he was very protective of his house and boasts about it. Celeste did not like feeling like a house.

"You are not to leave without my permission." Eric stood up.

"So you own me now?" Celeste smirked. "Well, that is just news to me. Since when have I become your property?"

"I did not mean it in those terms."

"Of course you didn't. Now I just have to ask your permission for everything. Am I going to need your permission to wipe my ass when I go to the restroom?" Celeste placed her hands on her hips and jutted her head up in defiance.

"You are overreacting." He waved his hand nonchalantly and sat back down in his seat. Eric did not want to have an argument in front of Bill, it was rude and it put him in an awkward position. Without a second thought, Celeste was next to Eric in one quick stride and slapped him on the back of his head, his perfectly placed hair becoming jostled and messy immediately. He gave her the darkest look that he had ever given a woman and silently cursed in his native tongue.

"Never tell a woman, let alone me, that she is overreacting you idiot." She turned on her heel and went toward the elevator, pressing the up arrow and suddenly disappearing inside once the doors opened.

"Jag kommer att slita hennes röv sönder när vi kommer tillbaka. Hur vågar hon slog mig, dum fitta. Fuck." Eric cursed in his native tongue again, looking back at the elevator. He slapped his hand on the seat and excused himself from Bill. With his amazing speed he took the stairs and slammed through the hotel door in a fraction of a second. Celeste sat at the table, Vogue Magazine in hand, flipping through the pages. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Eric slammed the door.

"Excuse me?" She turned another page.

"You heard me. What the hell is your problem."

"I have no problem." She said with indifference.

"You have been acting different ever since we got here Celeste. I want to know what is wrong."

"Nothing." She flipped another page. Eric stepped in front of her in one long stride and tore the magazine from her hands, slamming it on the table. His face was close to hers, his anger slowly but surely showing on his face.

"Why are you acting this way?" He demanded. Celeste looked from the magazine to him.

"I was not finished with that."

"Damnit Celeste!" He pulled her chair out from the table and leaned against it, his weight being held by the arms of the chair. "Is it that time of the month? Is that it? Is that why you have been acting like such a bitch lately?"

Suddenly, a sound erupted in the room, reverberating through the walls. Silence followed as Celeste's chest heaved up and down. Eric touched the side of his face, feeling a momentary sting that immediately diminished. He looked at Celeste, noticing an unfamiliar hatred in her eyes that he had never seen before. Eric let in a deep breath, but did not budge. When Celeste did it again, a matching sound from before ringing throughout the room, he took in another deep breath and restrained himself. If it had been another he probably would have hit them back, but he knew he would regret it if he inflicted any pain on her.

"Fuck you Eric." Celeste shoved him aside and grabbed her purse before quickly exiting the suite, not even bothering to spare a second glance at him. Eric stood in the middle of the room for a minute, his hands clenched into large fists and his anger boiling over him like a volcano on the verge of eruption. He took another deep breath and went to the door, calling Celeste's name in the same rage as the door shut behind him and he dashed down the stairs again.

He reached the lobby and asked Bill if he saw Celeste. He told him she left and Eric briskly went outside, looking left and right for her. He found her with ease, her scent filling him.

"Celeste!" His voice was husky and filled with anger. She looked over her shoulder and saw him, then all at once, a shot exploded in the crowed of people. Pedestrians ducked to the ground, screaming and covering their heads, looking for the perpetrator. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Celeste's pupils dilating, filling her eyes; her body slowly turning and falling at the same time, her purse loosening from her arm and slipping to the ground. "Celeste!" His own voice came out in a long loud burst. Her body fell to the ground and time sped up again. Eric dashed over the screaming people and collected Celeste's limp body in his arms. "Celeste! Celeste! Come on Celeste stay with me!" Eric watched as the light started to fade from her eyes, the light he loved seeing so much. He started to rock back and forth while he called her name; suddenly thinking, his fangs protruded and he bit his wrist roughly he placed his wrist to her lips and was prepared to let her drink, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't Eric." Eric looked at Bill, Sookie at his side. Eric knew that he was right. If he healed Celeste in front of all the humans it would give away the vampires ability to heal. Eric nodded. "Lets get her to a hospital." Bill said, taking Sookie in his arms and all of them hurriedly went to the nearest hospital.

***

Eric paced the waiting room, waiting for some word from the doctors, nurses, or anyone. It had been complete and utter chaos when they arrived at the hospital. Eric had never been to one, so he did not know what to do. He called for doctors and nurses and told them what happened, when they took her away on one of the beds he fought to go with her, hurting a few doctors in the process. Bill had to physically hold Eric so that Celeste could be treated.

"Eric please sit down." Sookie said after watching him. She had never seen him that way and it worried her. He said down obediently but couldn't help but move in anxiety and anticipation. He tapped his foot and his fingers beat against the armrests of the seat. Whenever a doctor in a white coat came by he would go to him or her and ask about Celeste, even if it wasn't her doctor.

"Eric what happened?" Bill asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know." Eric chewed on his finger.

"What do you know?" Bill pushed.

"I don't know!" Eric exploded, jumping from his seat. "We got into a fight and she left! I went after her and then I heard a gun go off and watched her fall to the ground! What do you want me to tell you Compton?" At that moment a doctor came in. She was a woman with red hair, green eyes, a small round mouth, and fair skin. She was about five foot and the white coat she wore seemed one size to big for her. Her nametag read Dr. Jennings.

"Is Celeste Monroe's family here?" She asked looking at a clipboard. Bill and Sookie stood up and Eric darted at the woman.

"Is she alright? How is she?" Eric asked.

"Are you Miss. Monroe's husband?" Dr. Jennings asked.

"No. We're her friends. We brought her in."

"I see. Well I cannot disclose any information to you except her family." She put the clipboard under her arm.

"All of us are here on business." Eric said, calming himself down. "Her family is not with us."

"I understand. However, I must get in contact with her family. Do any of you have any information about them? A phone number perhaps?" Dr. Jennings insisted.

"No. We are here on business only. Can you please tell me how she is?" Eric pushed. Dr. Jennings let out a deep breath and looked at the clipboard again then at Eric.

"She is in critical condition. The bullet is to close to her spine for us to operate, even the slightest mistake could paralyze her from the waist down. She suffered from much blood lose, but we were able to stop it." Dr. Jennings took another deep breath. "We had to put her in a chemically induced coma to keep her from moving to much, if she moves around the bullet could shift closer to her spine then we would have no choice but to operate."

After a long moment of silence Eric spoke: "If you cannot operate, then what happens to Celeste?"

"Well, one of two things: we can either keep her in a coma until the wound heals or we can operate and risk her becoming paralyzed for the rest of her life."

"How long would it take for it to heal?"

"At this rate, a year. When the human body is in a coma the healing process takes much longer."

"Is there no other option?" Eric asked. Dr. Jennings led Eric to her office to speak in private. Once she closed the door she pulled down a curtain and sat down at her desk.

"There is one last option, and probably the only one that will not leave Miss. Monroe disabled."

"What is it?"

Dr. Jennings took a moment before answering. "Vampire blood. We have only used it a few times, in desperate situations. If you are desperate for Celeste to get better than we can provide vampire blood at a moderate price."

Eric tapped his fingers on the armrest. He was curious at how they obtained the blood, but was more worried for Celeste's well being. "You do not need to do that. I shall provide her with my own."

"Very well. I knew you were a vampire the moment I saw you. I will take a small amount and mix it with a chemical compound we use specifically for these kinds of situations." Dr. Jennings went over to a cabinet in her office and grabbed a needle and connected a small bottle to it, creating a capsule that would catch the blood.

"A chemical?" Eric asked skeptically.

"Yes. Once the blood finds the wound, it will immediately go into action to expel the bullet. However, we cannot risk the bullet being pushed out without it injuring her spine." She took Eric's arm and slowly pushed the needle into the artery in his arm, the bottle quickly filled. "The chemical dissolves the bullet while your blood heals her."

"What kind of chemical is it?"

"Sulfuric Acid."

***

Eric sat next to Celeste's bed. She looked so vulnerable and childish in the bed. He carefully grabbed her hand from the side of the bed and took it in his. Her skin was not warm and smooth like he had grown familiar with, it was rough and freezing cold. Her flesh was pale and corpselike. He wondered it that was what he looked liked when he slept. Eric gently rubbed her hand, the sound of the countless monitors beeping in the background. Even though Eric had never been in a hospital, he hated it. The white walls, beeping monitors, the oxygen tube going down Celeste's throat, the IV dripping into her vain. The hospital was a place of death to Eric, a tomb that humans visited many times after accidents, or where they would find their death bed.

Eric moved his chair closer to the bed and watched Celeste. Anger grew in him as he thought about what happened; who shot her, why they shot her, and what he would do once he found whoever it was. This also brought other thoughts. It was true, Celeste did act different once they arrived to Los Vegas. She became more distant and did not spend as much time with Eric, she would constantly disappear or her mind would be wandering. Eric knew that she was hiding something from him, but what he had no idea. He rested his head against the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.

***

"Bill, what happened?" Sookie asked, taking his hand in both of hers.

"I do not know." He replied honestly. Bill had gone over the event many times in his mind. The fight in the lobby, Celeste swiftly leaving, Eric urgently following behind, then hearing Eric call her name followed by a gun shot. He couldn't fit the pieces together, for all he knew Eric shot her, but he knew that was impossible. He started to think about what Sookie said to him before, how Celeste made her uncomfortable and she felt that she was hiding something. Bill was starting to feel the same; there was a lot more to Celeste than she was letting people know, and some of it was dangerous. Now that he thought about it, she never spoke of her past, and when she was asked she evaded the question or answered it half way without an explanation that would leave the asker even more confused.

***

Dr. Jennings gave Eric a few minutes with Celeste before giving Celeste her treatment. She grabbed her cell phone from her desk drawer and dialed a familiar number. The phone rang for a moment, then went strait to voicemail. She left a quick and discrete message that was cut off short when someone knocked on her door.

"Just a moment." She said, placing her phone back in the drawer. She quickly went to the door and opened it and was surprised the see the person she had just tried to call. "Malcolm. I just called you."

"I know." He said stepping in. Malcolm was a very appealing man. His light brown hair that was parted on one side but looked messy was the feature women loved most about him aside from his six rock hard abs. His square chiseled jaw, piercing dark eyes, five o' clock shadow, and beautiful smile was enough to send anyone off. In fact his harmless and carefree appearance, not to mention young age of twenty-six, deceived most people. Dr. Jennings closed the door behind him and locked it. Malcolm sat in her desk chair and Dr. Jennings leaned against the desk. "Bennie told me that she was here."

"How does he know?"

"He has people working here, just like I have you here." Malcolm grinned. "I can't have my men and women seeing just any doctor now can I?"

"I guess not."

"Besides. Her name would eventually get to me since her medical bill would be sent to me.""Celeste still works for you?"

"Yes. Even though she thinks she doesn't." His grin grew wider. "So she's here?"

"She is." Dr. Jennings replied.

"Well?"

"You will be happy to hear that she is not dead." She grinned. "However, from the wound I can tell that Margo had the complete intent of killing her."

"Shit. I knew it. I told him specifically not to kill her or to even try to."

"A simple shot of the shoulder would have sufficed."

"I cant rely on that son of a bitch for anything!" Malcolm cursed. He massaged his temples to relax himself. "Where is she?"

"In ICU. There is also something else you might want to know." Dr. Jennings leaned toward him. Malcolm looked at her with curiosity. "She brought a vampire with her. Two actually."

"She is befriending them now?"

"It seems that way. One of them in particular is very protective of her."

"Is that true?" Dr. Jennings nodded in affirmation. "Well then," Malcolm leaned back in the seat. "We must remind her of her place. Even though she is done with us that does not mean we are done with her." He smirked.

***

Eric sat up from Celeste as the door opened. Dr. Jennings entered the room with the vile of Eric's blood mixed with the sulfuric acid in hand.

"I am going to need you to leave now so I can perform the procedure." She said gently. She had the clipboard with her and set it down at the edge of the bed. The door opened against and a few nurses stepped in. Eric stood up, his hand still latched to Celeste's.

"How long is it going to take?"

"I do now know. It depends on how large the bullet is. The larger the bullet the more time it takes." Dr. Jennings checked the monitors and told one of the nurses to write a few things on the clipboard. "I need you to leave now Mr. Northman." She said looking over her shoulder. "I am sure you can find your way back to the waiting room." Eric was reluctant to leave, but did so anyway, no matter how much he wanted to be there. He opened the door and gave one long glance at Celeste before exiting.

***

Dr. Jennings drew all of the blinds as the nurses prepared her. Malcolm entered and went to Jennings. "Are you about to start?"

"Yes. We have to get her on her stomach first so we can put the blood on the wound."

"Fine. Do what you must. Just let me have a moment with her before you start."

"Of course." Dr. Jennings nodded and gestured for the nurses to leave. She was the last to exit, closing the door behind her. Malcolm was alone in the room with a catatonic Celeste. He ran his hand on the edge of the bed as he walked around it, stopping at the seat where Eric once sat. It had been a long time since he had last scene her, but she still looked the same, only on the verge of death. He gently ran the back of his hand against her cheek.

"I have been waiting so long for this." He said, moving her hair from her face.

* * *

* I am going to tear her ass to shreds when we get back. How dare she hit me, stupid cunt. Fuck.


	11. Chap 11: Taken

**A/N:** I would like to thank everyone that reviewed. I really appreciate it. I am glad that you are enjoying the story thus far and hope that you continue to support and care about the characters and what happens as I have in writing about them. Enjoy this latest chapter and please continue to review. Thanks. -Kam

**Chapter 11: Taken**

3 Days Later

_It was difficult for Celeste to open her eyes. She sun shined brightly in her room, scorching her skin with its rays. Her mouth was dry and lips chapped as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Her hand felt heavy and hard as she lifted it up to cover her eyes, slowly and carefully opening them. She looked around the room. _What am I doing in a hospital? _She sluggishly tried to sit up in the bed and leaned back on her elbows. Celeste took a deep breath as she tried to think of what happened. _Why can't I remember anything? _She looked at the clock above her bed: 1:47._

"_What are you doing awake?" A very familiar voice said next to her left. Her head immediately shot in that direction and her breath caught in her throat._

"_Sam? What are you doing here?" She was flabbergasted. _

"_Sookie called me." He sat down at the foot of the bed and took her hand in his. He exhaled and closed his eyes briefly before looking back at her. "When she told me what happened I got here as soon as I could."_

"_How long have you been here?" Celeste completely sat up, causing Sam to move closer to her._

"_A day and a half." Sam smiled, immediately warming her on the inside. They sat in silence, looking at each other, not knowing what to say. Celeste still couldn't believe that he was there. Sam was an amazing person and cared about her a lot, more than most. She wasn't surprised that he do such an irrational thing and leave his bar with Lafayette and Tara, the two most irresponsible people in the world. She squeezed his hand and took in his features. It hadn't been that long since she last saw him, but it felt like forever. She leaned closer and ran her fingers through his shaggy hair in one slow movement._

"_You're really here aren't you?" She still couldn't believe that he was there. The corners of his lips turned up in a faint smile as he combed his fingers through her hair as she just did. "Yeah. I am." His hand moved down to the back of her neck as he slowly and carefully leaned toward her. Celeste could feel his breath on her cheek, the heat sinking deep into a skin. The kiss was gentle and sweet; Sam did not want to hurt her anymore than she already was. He placed his other hand on the small of her back and slowly lowered her down on the bed._

Her eyes shot open and her breathing was course and heavy. Celeste clutched her chest, trying to grasp her pounding heart. It was dark in her room aside from the light that flickered over her bed. "Sam?" She yelled between her rapid breaths but did not see him anywhere. The monitors beeped uncontrollably as it mimicked her heart beat, the sound ringing in her ear like an fire truck siren. There was something covering her mouth and she thrashed and struggled to get it off, it was a oxygen mask. She threw it to the side and looked around the room, her eyes dashing back and forth as her heart throbbed in an agonizing pain and her breathing was heavy and quick. There were countless tubes connected to her and an IV going through one of her arms. She pulled them all out, ignoring the pain that most caused, until she pulled out the IV. She started hyperventilating and groaning as she pulled it out, a torturous pain coursing through her not just from the IV, but from her situation all together.

Celeste threw the dripping IV on the ground as she got up from the hospital bed. Her clothes, neatly folded and pressed, were on the seat next to the bed. She quickly put them on as she looked around the room for a third time. There were no windows, no air vent, no nothing. All there was was a door. She put on her shoes and went to the door, carefully opening it just a crack so she could see. There was nothing, complete darkness. She exited and tried to see through the darkness, but there was nothing. She slowly reached out in front of her, feeling like a blind person, hoping that her hands would press into a wall or something that either meant an end or beginning. She stepped fifteen yards away from the door when she saw a very dim light in front of her. It was very far away, how far she couldn't tell, but as she ran towards it the light got brighter and bigger. Celeste stood in front of another door: it was a regular one that anyone would see when they were about to enter an office or some professional setting. Her hand hesitantly gripped the steel knob, her heart and breathing finally calming and returning to normal. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and stepped in in one long stride.

Celeste didn't have a seconds moment to look at her surrounding before a black bag was wrapped around her head. She immediately fought back and screamed until she was hit on the back of the head with something metal and blacked out. Her body slightly twitched as she was thrown into something and taken away.

***

Eric was anxious to see Celeste for the first time in days. Since the procedure he had been forbidden from seeing her, for what reason he did not know, but she was to be discharged. He was happy to see her again and had a few things planned out for her so that she could make a proper recovery. However, there was a part of him that was nagging about what happened. Why did someone try to kill her? Who were they? How did they know her? But there were two things that bothered him more than anything else: how was the perpetrator able to get past her field? And if they knew that she was still alive, would they try to kill her again? All of these and other questions bothered him as he entered the hospital with Bill and Sookie with him. Eric walked quickly towards Celeste's room in the Intensive Care Unit and entered. What he had expected upon arrival was to see her in bed, with a tray of disgusting food and a remote to her television in hand. He had expected to see her looking at the television then place her attention on him at the sight of him with a smile that would give him all the affirmation he needed to believe that she was okay. However, it was no how he expected it: the bed was empty and made. There was no evidence of Celeste's presence anywhere.

"Is she not there?" Sookie asked trying to see past him.

"No. She was probably moved." He quickly went back to the front desk and asked a nurse of her whereabouts. She checked her computer for a few minutes and waited for a moment.

"What is your name?" She asked Eric.

"Eric Northman."

"Okay Mr. Northman, please excuse me for a second." The nurse said and went to a doctors office behind the front desk. She had a distraught expression on her face and spoke to the doctor quickly. She returned to the computer, the doctor hovering over her as she checked it again.

"Is there something wrong?" Bill asked. The nurse straitened in her seat and the doctor looked from the computer to Bill, Sookie, and Eric.

"I am sorry Mr. Northman but we have no record of a Celeste Monroe being treated here." Said the doctor.

"How is that possible? She has been here for nearly a week." Eric protested.

"I'm sorry, but is it possible you got this hospital confused with another? Probably one she is being treated at?"

"No! We have been here before and she was being treated here." Eric struggled to keep his composure.

"Well what was she being treated for?"

"She was shot, in the back." Bill said. The doctor told the nurse to look for her by case file, she did so diligently but shook her head when she found nothing.

"We have no record of her. You probably got us confused with another hospital." He said.

"We did not get confused. She was here." Eric gritted his teeth.

"If you are so sure than can you recall the name of the doctor that treated her?"

"Yes. A Dr. Jennings."

"Dr. Jennings? We have no physician by that name here." The doctor grabbed a clipboard from a nurse behind him and shared words for a moment. He looked at the board and flipped through a few pages before turning his attention back to Eric.

"That is impossible. We saw the woman ourselves. We watched her take Celeste away." Eric argued.

"Mr. Northman I am the head director of his hospital. I decided which physicians are allowed to work here and I am very close to all that I have hired. There is Dr. Jennings at this hospital." He said sternly.

"That is bullshit!" Eric slammed his hand on the counter, cracking it slightly. "We saw her, both of them damnit!"

"Mr. Northman I suggest you control yourself before I call security on you. I am sorry but there is no record of a Celeste Monroe or a Dr. Jennings. If you would like I could have a nurse call hospitals in this area and ask about both of them but other then that there is nothing else we can do. Now if you excuse me I must go tend to one of my patients." The doctor said, bringing the conversation to a strict and harsh conclusion. Eric combed his fingers through his hair in complete frustration and left the hospital, Bill and Sookie following briskly behind. He took a moment to regain his composure and paced at the entrance of the hospital.

"Eric what are we going to do?" Sookie asked.

"I don't know." He stopped in front of them and crossed his arms over his chest as he started thinking out loud. "We brought Celeste here and she was taken care of by Dr. Jennings."

"You went to her office. What did she talk to you about?" Bill asked abruptly.

"She told me there was another treatment we could use that wouldn't damage Celeste. She was going to use "our" blood," Eric hinted to Bill, which he immediately registered as vampire blood. "She was going to use it to treat Celeste and said it would take a while. She asked me if I wanted to buy some but I told her I would provide her with my own. She already knew that I was . . . one and didn't mind at all."

"I haven't been to that many hospitals but I know that doesn't sound right." Sookie exclaimed.

"No, it doesn't. She had V and she knew I was one." Eric looked at the hospital. "This is not a regular hospital."

"Where do you think they get it?" Bill wondered.

"I don't know. But I get the feeling if we find out it might help us find Celeste." Eric thought intently about the situation, starting from the beginning. He remembered acting strange when they first arrived and leaving the burlesque club when he lost her. He also recalled her sudden disappearance at the hotel and then the argument and then her leaving and getting shot. The more the thought about it he knew something was very wrong. Celeste didn't argue with him because she was mad at him, something was bothering her before that and he believed it had something to do with what was going on at the hospital. "The hospital has no record of her." He said. "But we brought her here and met the doctor."

"But they still have no record of her." Sookie said confused.

"That means somebody doesn't want anybody to know that she was here. Even if she discharged herself there would be a record, but since there is none and she's not here, it could be possible that someone took her, and they don't want us to find her." All three of them took a deep breath, thinking about the possibility that such a thing could happen.

"How is that possible though?" Sookie looked from Bill to Eric. "Celeste has her field."

"They shot her Sookie, it was probably easier for them to take her." Bill replied.

"Maybe even easier to take her while she was in a chemically induced coma." Eric noted. "Whoever took her either had to be non-human or have a weapon of some sort that is able to penetrate her field, which would be impossible since she told me herself that her field is impenetrable."

"What if they have some kind of ability? Like me or Celeste?" Sookie said more to herself than to them.

"Well we will not know until we found out who took her and where she is." Bill said. "We have to start looking for her Eric before something bad happens."

"Something bad already happened. She was taken." Eric looked at the hospital.

***

Sam drummed his fingers on the bar and looked off into the distance, completely zoning out. It had been nearly a week since he last talked to Celeste, and he was getting a little worried that she had no called him or anything. Of course he wanted to call her, but after the stunt he pulled before she left he thought it would be best that she got over it and talk to him when she was ready. He grabbed an ice pack that was next to him and placed it on the side of his head; ever since she left he always had a headache or was running a fever. Sam closed his eyes and probably would have fallen asleep if a crowed of loud people hadn't entered and demanded a drink. He told Tara to take care of them and retired to his office. He closed the door, immediately blocking out the noise and sank into his seat. He laid his head back, the ice pack still on, and closed his eyes_. Knock knock knock! _The sound of a fist pounding on a door rattled his head. He yelled whoever it was to enter and was surprised to see Terry's head peep in through the door.

"Hey Sam. Are you busy?" He asked.

"No. What's up Terry?" Sam turned around in his chair and set the ice pack on the table. Terry opened the door and entered, closing it behind him. He sat down in one of the seats in front of Sam's desk and locked his fingers together. "What's going on Terry?" Sam asked again.

"Umm . . . I was just wondering if you got any word on Celeste?"

"No." Sam sat back in his seat. "Why you asking?"

"Well I got a call from one of my old army buddies. He works at a hospital in Los Vegas as a nurse with his wife. He told me about a patient there named Celeste. He told me it might be her"

"How would he know about her?"

"I called him before she left, asked him to keep an eye out for her if he heard about her on the news or wound up in the hospital or something."

"And he said Celeste was in the hospital?"

"Yeah, well more or less. I sent him a picture of her by fax and he was positive it was her."

"Well did he tell you what she was doing there?" Sam asked with urgency. It was the first news he had received from Celeste since she left, he was nervous and excited all at once. Terry sucked on his teeth and looked away.

"Yeah . . . about that Sam. If it is our Celeste, I'm not sure if it is our isn't, but if it is, he told me she was shot."

"What?" Sam almost yelled.

"That doesn't mean she's our Celeste. It could be someone else with the same name. At least I hope it is." Terry pressed his lips into a fine line. "I knew I shouldn't have told you." He said under his breath.

"No Terry. I'm glad you did." Sam drummed his fingers on his desk. "Like you said, it might not be our Celeste. Just someone with the same name." But, even though Sam said it, why did he feel that deep down inside he knew he was wrong?

***

Celeste was jerked up and thrown into something. Her vision was blurred, not that it mattered since there was a black bag over her head, hiding her in complete darkness. Her wrists were strapped down roughly and her ankles were as well. Her head rolled left and right as she slowly became conscious, sluggishly resisting the hands that were tieing her down. She struggled to pull her wrists from beneath the bond, cutting off some of the circulation of blood to her hands. Suddenly, the bag was pulled from over her head and a bright light hovered over her, blinding her. She hid her face and squeezed her eyes shut from the light and slowly opened them as they adjusted. She could barely see anything, but heard footsteps and voice around her. Once she could finally open her eyes, she saw very familiar faces surrounding her. She looked down at her bound limbs and saw that she was in a chair. She looked around again, immediately recognizing the room. It was a warehouse like room, very large, very boring. The walls were a clouded grey and large lights dotted the ceiling.

"She's finally awake." Someone said in front of her. She could not see who it was since there were so many people, but took a wild guess that just so happened to be right. Malcolm emerged from the crowed like a demon raising from the darkness, killing everything in its wake. Celeste struggled slightly in her seat. "She finally awake." He grinned and folded his hands in front of him. "You have no idea how much we have missed you Celeste." He smiled as he paced in a circle around her. "Some of us thought you might be dead when we didn't see or hear from you after a while." Malcolm looked at one of the people in the crowed. "But I knew you were alive. You were too good to die. And apparently, you were too good for us." Malcolm stepped behind her and pressed his hands into her shoulders. "What in that pretty little head of yours made you think that you could just leave?" He hissed. He stepped back and slapped the side of her head.

"What made you think I would stay?" She hissed back. Malcolm nodded at someone behind her and before she could do anything a large fist collided with her face, tipping over the chair and plummeted to the ground. Celeste's face struck against concrete and her mouth filled with blood from the blow. She spit some out, her breathing becoming more rapid. Malcolm nodded to another person behind her and the chair was quickly lifted back up, cracking and popping here and there.

"Celeste, you really did bring this upon yourself. If you just did the order that I asked you to then none of this would have happened."

"Bullshit. What you asked me to do was horrible. You knew I wouldn't do it so why did you even bother asking?" She yelled.

"Keep your voice down. We wouldn't want the neighbors to come over and find this. Then you would have killed other innocent people."

"My parents didn't deserve to die. They had nothing to do with this!"

"They were protecting your brother Celeste!" Malcolm punched one of the people next to him without warning out of sheer anger and frustration. "And that's why they died. If you had just killed him they would still be alive. You only have yourself to blame." Silence filled the room. Malcolm took a deep breath and combed his fingers through his hair. "Do you know why I brought you here?" He asked.

"I don't give a fuck," Celeste spit out more blood and looked at him. "why you brought me here."

"Watch your tongue before I have big boy hit your pretty face again . . . . I brought you here because I have forgiven you. That screw up you had is a past memory and I want to look to the future. I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Celeste laughed.

"A good one." Someone behind him handed him a manila folder. He opened it and flipped through it's contents. "There has been some trouble going on in District 8, a group there has been trying to take out the vampire sheriff there under the presidents orders. However, they have been unsuccessful of late and have lost many people. The president now requests our services . . . and by 'our' I mean yours." He grinned.

"I don't do that anymore Malcolm."

"I would send Margo, but because of the incident that happened with you I can no longer trust him with anything. You and Margo are one of a kind, two rather. But you are far more experience than him. Not to mention you can keep a level head." Malcolm stepped in front of Celeste and squatted, his body only a few inches away from her. "I'm giving you a choice here Celeste." He pressed. "You can either do it willingly . . . or I can activate you. And we all know what happens when I do that." There eyes met. "I never had to activate you before Celeste, and honestly, your life is more valuable to me then any of the sons of bitches here. So you have a choice. Do the job for five million in cold hard cash just like old times, or I can force you, and you can get nothing." Malcolm stood up. "It's your choice. You have 24 hours to decide, then I'll send someone to get you, willing or not." He stepped back and nodded at one of the people behind Celeste. Before she could blink she was knocked out and the black bag was placed over her head again.


	12. Chap 12: VAIN

**A/N:** I know that it has been a really really long time since I have posted, and I am really really sorry. I have been so busy since the school year is almost over and for some reason all my teachers want to give me a whole bunch of work in the last month of school. So yeah, but once summer comes i'm gonna be rolling these things out. I really do appreciate the patience you all have shown and the reviews are amazing that make me really happy, haha. So please continue reviewing and for all your curious readers that want to know all the secrets that Celeste is hiding, all will be revealed in due time.

**Chapter 12: VAIN**

_2 Days Later_

Celeste sat in her bedroom, if it could be called that. In the Vampire Annihilation and Intelligence Notice or VAIN, everyone had special abilities; some could read minds, walk through walls, become invisible, move objects with their minds, and so much more; however, she was seeing one of the abilities very clearly. Her bedroom, with its cream walls, light bronze curtains, and large bed that made the entire room look like something out of a palace, wasn't really a room. It was actually a mirage. A few of the members of VAIN had the ability to make people see things. In that case Celeste was seeing a beautiful bedroom, which hid the disgusting chamber of leaking ceilings and dirty floors. She had experienced the mirage a few times in the past, being caught in it's trap while one of her old partners tried to distract an opponent. The most difficult part was getting out of it, because she always had to convince herself it wasn't real, but sometimes what she saw was the most real thing she had ever seen. At that moment she didn't care about the mirage, she actually preferred it to her real surroundings.

Celeste leaned back on the fake bed and thought about what she was about to do. She was going to Washington D.C. : the capitol of the United States. And was going to murder the vampire sheriff there, all because of presidents orders. She felt sorry for the vampires in the nest she was going to intrude on, because whenever it came to bosses, she never just killed them. It was always more than 20, on average, but her team was more than capable of killing them . . . actually they barely had to try. Celeste thought about what happened in the past four years and how everything had changed. It had been nearly eighteen months since she's killed a vampire, eighteen months since her brother died, eighteen months since she betrayed her own kind for a life she thought would be better and safer.

She pressed her cold hand against her forehead, feeling lightheaded and sick suddenly. All of her past memories of being a part of VAIN became more prominent in her mind and almost overwhelming. Celeste hurt so many people, destroyed countless lives, and for what? To end up in a chamber as a prisoner of her own organization? She could no longer tell where the line between good and evil lay, but she knew she crossed it a long time ago. She sat up when her fake mahogany door opened and looked to see Malcolm.

"You are awake." He grinned. He carried a tray of various fruits and vegetables with an assortment of meats. He set the tray down on the bed and sat across from her. "I remembered how much you loved these kinds of things." He picked up a pineapple chunk and popped it in his mouth. "You had an insane passion for fruit." He chuckled and swallowed the pineapple. He bit the bottom of his lip and pushed the tray closer to Celeste. She looked at it, then at him, then back at the tray. "Aren't you going to have some?" He picked up a grape and brought it up to her lips, an inch or so away from them. She looked from the grape, then to him in disgust and slapped his hand away, the grape slipping from his grip and bouncing across the hard wood floor finally rolling under a dresser. Malcolm let out a deep breath and squeezed the bridge of his nose while shutting his eyes. "I hate that things are like this." He looked at Celeste from the corner of his eye.

"You made it this way." Celeste looked around the fake room. "You pushed me away from my home." Malcolm rest his hands on his knees.

"Perhaps I did." He agreed. "But I gave you a choice."

"Just like you gave me a choice this time?" Celeste glared at him. "You gave me the choice to kill my own brother or to have it done by another's hand."

"It had to be done."

"No it did not!" Celeste shot up from the bed. "My brother may have been a vampire but he did not deserve that fate. I protected him as much as I could and when I told you that he could do no harm, that he didn't want to, my words fell on deaf ears. I told you we could have kept him here under my care where he would be unable to hurt others but you refused to see that as an alternative!"

"He was a vampire Celeste!" Malcolm stood up. "He did not deserve to live. Vampires only bring pain to the human race and do not deserve the retched life-if that's what it is-that they have! Nicolas would have hurt others eventually. I just decided to take care of it before the problem ever arouse."

"And we do not bring pain to ourselves?" Celeste yelled. "Humanity was on the brink of destruction long before the vampires came and yet you say they are the only ones that bring pain? Humans cause just as much pain as vampires Malcolm! And when it came to Nicolas' life it was not your decision to make! I gave you another option but you refused to listen to my words." Silence filled the room. Celeste wanted to hurt Malcolm like he hurt her. She wanted to kill him for everything he had done, but knew that his powers far exceeded hers and that she would have no chance of defending herself since Margo was so close by. "We used to do this because the government wanted us to." Celeste said in a whisper. "We used to kill vampires that posed a huge threat to society. But now . . . what are we doing? Killing them for sport just because we can? Just because as a group we are far more powerful than any vampire? Just because there are so many that can be killed? What is the real reason for us to be doing this anymore?" Malcolm took a deep breath, calming himself.

"All of them pose a threat. And their numbers increase with every new day. We are the ones that keep them in check. We are the ones that enforce the will of the government and if they want a complete extermination of them then we have no choice."

Celeste scuffed. "There is always a choice. Whether or not you choose to take is for you to decide."

"And I have decided." Malcolm's eyes gave Celeste a slow once over. "You have not changed since the last time I saw you." He ran his fingers through her hair, causing her to immediately jerk back. "I did miss you." He said. "And I miss you still. I want us to become what we used to be."

"That is never going to happen."

"Why? Because you are defending vampires now? Or is it because you are in love with one?" He challenged.

"What are you talking about?" Celeste looked at him with disgust.

"I know about the vampires that you came here with. I actually met them, sort of. I bumped into them." Malcolm paced around the room and looked at the fake ceiling. "They are very protective of you, that is easy to see. The woman they were with, not so much. But that Mr. Northman character, he is just causing trouble."

"Eric? How do you know him?"

"Dr. Jennings gave me his name. We did a little background on him only to find out he is a sheriff. Apparently he found out that we-our organization- has been providing the hospital and the rest of Las Vegas with V. The only problem is he doesn't know that much about us or our location." Malcolm turned to Celeste. "I cannot be held accountable if something happens to him while he is snooping around." He grinned.

"If you hurt them I will kill you."

"Big words from a little girl." His grin widened. Malcolm's head tilted to the side as his gaze soaked in her body, reminding him of the countless times he had taken her before, before she decided to go rouge. As he thought about it, it became more appealing and seductive in a way. Celeste had indeed gone rogue, and because Margo was so close by she could not defend herself. Malcolm couldn't remember a time of her being so helpless. He walked a slow circle around her, his arousal growing and his heart rate increasing by a fraction. "How long has it been Celeste?" He inhaled her scent as he walked behind her, she smelt amazing, like always. "How long has it been since another mans touched you?" He gently pulled a piece of her hair. Malcolm could feel her fear rising. He knew she was aware of his intentions, and she knew there was nothing she could do. He stood behind her and hid his face in her neck, his hands slowly trekking down her familiar sides and hips. Malcolm took another deep breath from her and closed his eyes. "How long has it been since another man has been inside you?" His voice was husky and seductive as his hands slid over her thighs and slightly parted them, tracing the inside with his fingertips.

Celeste tried to move, but she couldn't. Not only was she afraid, but Malcolm was controlling her body. He kept her frozen against him, his ability giving him complete control over her. Telekinesis was his power, and he used it very frequently. Even when she had her field he could control her, of course not as much because of it, but he could do it nonetheless. Celeste swallowed past the large lump in her throat. Her lips quivered and her eyes looked to the ceiling for some kind of escape, water pooling at the rims of her eyes threatening to spill over at any second. She thought about Eric and Sookie and Bill. All she could see was their faces vividly in her mind, the smiles and few laughs she had shared with them in her short time of knowing them. She wondered if Sookie could hear her thoughts now that her field that protected her mind and body was gone. Celeste felt Malcolm's lips press softly against her skin and his hands slowly unbuttoning her pants. "I have miss you so much." He groaned. The pools spilled over silently as Malcolm gently pulled her pants down, falling into a heap around her ankles. He turned her around and went to his knees, touching her soft skin with his large hands, feeling her warmth that he missed so much. The tears came relentlessly and Celeste squeezed her eyes shut. _Somebody Help Me._

_***_

Sookie's head shot up from the table. Her eyes darted around the café in alarm at the voice. Did she really just hear what she thought? Or was she going crazy? _This can't be possible. I couldn't have heard her voice. I . . . I just couldn't have. But it had to be her. It sounds just like her._

"Sookie." She was immediately turned from her thoughts when Bill spoke her name. "Is everything alright?" He asked. She looked at him puzzled.

"Bill, I think, I-I don't know, but," Bill took Sookie's hand underneath the table.

"It is alright. Now what is it you have to say?"

Her gaze fell to Eric, who was outside of the café talking on his phone. She started to wonder why he liked Celeste so much. What made Celeste so much better than her? She watched him as he spoke intently on the phone. She pondered if he would ever do the same for her. If Eric would ever go the such lengths to find her if she ever went missing. Sometimes, in the privacy of her mind, she would think about what might have happened if she picked Eric instead of Bill. Would they still be in the same situation? Would Celeste be another stranger to Eric? Or would Celeste still weave her way between them? She didn't know, and she didn't care for it much, but seeing Eric-so focused and motivated to find the missing woman- hurt Sookie on the inside, somewhere. She realized that Eric was slowly loosing interest in her, and that he would find another to take her place. A small gasp escaped her lips as she thought of Eric being with another woman. Correction. Anger consumed Sookie as she thought about Eric being with Celeste. Her jaw clenched and her small hands tightened into fists on her lap. She was not going to let Celeste take Eric away from her. It was Celeste's voice she had heard. She knew it was. She watched Eric as he entered the Café again, putting his phone in his pocket and shaking his head in disapproval. Sookie glanced from him to Bill. She squeezed his hand and smiled. "It's nothing Bill. Never mind."

***

_24 Hours Later_

Celeste felt disgusted with herself. Tears spilled over her eyes as she curled herself into a ball, pulling her knees close to her chest and wrapper her arms around them. Never before had a man ever forced himself on her, never had she been so helpless. She felt dirty and filthy and wanted to burn her skin to remove the feel of Malcolm's touch. The entire time he had his way with her he forced her to participate. Laying there and letting him do whatever he wanted was agony, but having to please me and do what he wanted was a torture that Celeste had never experienced before. He would use his abilities to control her if he wasn't satisfied, or he would hurt her until she complied. Through the entire ordeal she cried, and Malcolm found pleasure from her pain, licking her tears away and laughing as he drove harder and faster into her. Years ago she may have enjoyed it, but at that moment it only caused her pain and endless suffering.

A few hours later someone entered her bedroom with a change of clothes and escorted her to a bathroom so she could get washed up. She was very thankful and relieved and more than willing to get the disgusting feeling of Malcolm's hands-and other body parts- off her. Immediately after she got out, combing her fingers through her wet hair, new fresh clothes on her, a familiar group stood before her. She would say she was happy to see them, but it was difficult. Celeste had missed her old team, the one she went on countless missions on, but she hated them for ending the lives of her mother, father, and brother. Then again, that's how she felt about the entire association. She missed the job and sometimes the people, but then she would remember what they did . . . what she did.

"We are going to get you prepared for the trip." One of her old friends grinned. Olivia, a short, smart, cunning, Florida-bred blonde with the body of a model and a faint tan over her body. But, she was a bitch, to say the least. Olivia crossed her arms over her chest. "Malcolm thinks you have been to long without training and should test the waters to see if you lost your touch. I think you have." She smirked.

"Well, well, well. It's nice to see that you have finally come up in ranks Olivia." Celeste replied sarcastically, putting her hands in her Denim pockets. "You used to pick up shit now you just carry it out. That is such an improvement." Celeste clapped her hands together. "Bravo. You really have out done yourself."

Olivia was at her throat, hand clenched around the sensitive skin as she pinned her against the wall. Her voice was rugged, a common characteristic when she got angry-which was very frequently. Olivia's ability was speed. She might as well have been invisible because she moved so fast-faster than vampires sometimes-that no one could see her. Olivia's gripped tightened on Celeste's neck, who hardly struggled. "You're the one that left remember." Olivia hissed. "What did you expect to come back to Celeste? You used to be the leader of this team and you betrayed us. I don't know what Malcolm ever saw in you." She gave her a quick once over. "You're just pathetic." Olivia released Celeste and stepped back. Celeste touched her throat and rubbed the soreness away.

"You are still so naïve Olivia." She grinned. "Just because your fucking Malcolm doesn't mean anything. You're still nothing but a toy to him, just like you were a year ago. Except now you don't have to worry about me getting between your obsession over him. Just face it Olivia, he is never going to care about you . . . and when he throws you to the curb just like the rest of them, I'm gonna be there to say 'I told you so.'"

"Even if that happens, you won't be here long enough to hear the words pass your lips." Olivia scuffed and turned on her heal. "Come. We have work to do." As the exited the facility Malcolm approached them. He looked refreshed with a smug grin and a twinkle in his eye that made Celeste want to rip is disgusting face off and throw him over a cliff. The team stopped, Olivia in the front with Celeste a few feet away. Malcolm assessed the group of professionals and he smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen such a magnificent team that looked so complete and at ease. He clapped his hands together.

"It's nice to see everyone together again." He glanced around the team. "You have been informed of where you are going, except for you Celeste- and you will not know until you get there." He looked at someone behind Celeste. "Andrew. Make your checks at the burlesque clubs and if them V if they need it. Also make sure you don't come across the vampires that are looking for her. I do not want any unnecessary deaths." And by unnecessary deaths he meant vampire deaths. Andrew grinned and nodded his head. "Very well then. You may leave." With that the group of professionals left the facility and briskly went to the destination where Celeste would be tested hopefully for the last time.

***

Eric was encased with a rage that poured out of him. He went to the Fangtasia he owned in Las Vegas and found some important information. Apparently an organization called VAIN was rooted into the city, killing off vampires and collecting intelligence. He found out that a few of his employees had encounters with a new organization and learned that they posed much a bigger threat than the Fellowship of the Sun. But the thing that got under his skin most was that VAIN was the organization that took Celeste. However, beyond that he knew nothing else. No one knew where the facility was or who ran it or who was even a part of it and he quickly learned that a majority of the vampires that ran into VAIN did not survive. At the news of the new information he had Sookie on high alert-making her take in every thought on the street they scouted out, Bill forever at her side. Eric wandered off, going from place to place asking humans if they knew of a girl named Celeste Monroe. He went to a burlesque club and got unfortunately lucky:

"Do you know a girl named Celeste Monroe? She has long wavy hair, dark eyes, fair skin, about five foot three I think." He asked the bar tender.

"Celeste?" The bar tender said shocked. "Yeah I know her. Did something happen?" He had an Italian accent and a five o' clock shadow that made him look dirty.

"She has gone missing."

"Oh. Well that is unfortunate. However, I may be able to shed some light on your terrible situation." The Italian leaned over the counter. "I saw her here, not to long ago, maybe a day or two. She came by to drop some stuff off with her common crew."

"Crew?" Eric asked perplexed.

"Yeah. There like a gang or something, I don't know. But whatever they do it certainly pays a lot. Every now and then they will come by, selling V. They do it all around the city, they're like the unofficial suppliers. We don't buy here that much, but some of the girls they like it so we buy a small portion just for them."

"And you said you saw her with this group?" Eric struggled to suppress his anger.

"Yeah, she used to come here a lot, when she lived here."

"She lived here?" Eric interjected.

"Yeah, for about four years, but after she moved about a year ago no has heard from her. I was really surprised to see her again since she did her business here as well."

"What kind of business?"

"I don't know exactly. One time she came in here and sat down with this bald guy. He was really fat and ugly. Like one of those disgusting online pedophiles."

"Do you know his name?"

"How could I not. He is a really big mob boss I guess you could say. He is always being tried in court but somehow manages to always get off. I think his name is Bennie Borski. He is a Russian immigrant I believe, been living in Las Vegas for about four years, maybe less. He was talking to her, he wanted her to take something out for him. After that he left, she stayed for about twenty minutes and left too."

"How long ago was this?"

"About a year and half ago I think. Actually not to long before she left." The Italian said with realization. "Now that I think about it, she left some time after her family was murdered. It was really horrible, all over the news."

"Her family?" Eric was not following.

"Yeah. Her mother, father, and twin brother were brutally murdered. Well not so much her brother, his body was never found, but there was blood all over the place like a body blew up. After that she was never the same. She dropped by before she left, told me she was going to miss me and that she was never coming back. When I asked her where she was going she didn't say, only that wasn't going to stay in one place for too long. I had no idea what she meant, but sympathized with her nonetheless."

"Do you know where I can find this Bennie Borski?"

The Italian thought. "Not really. He has a lot of places all over the city and frequently moves from one to the other. But he does come here at around ten o'clock almost every night to watch girls and handle business, whatever that maybe. Other than that there is nothing else I can tell you my friend."

"You said Celeste lived here. Do you know her address?"

"No. You could ask any of her clients and no one would know where she lived. Even though Celeste was a very great girl she was very secretive. She is a dangerous mystery that most do not figure out. But, if you do find Bennie, and I do stress caution, he may know where she resides, or used. And if not he will definitely know someone that does know. That is all I can tell you."

"Thank you. You have been of much use."

"I hope you find her my friend." The Italian replied. Eric quickly exited with unanswered questions in his mind. Celeste was hiding a lot from him. She lived in Las Vegas for four years, sold V, worked with a crew, held secret meetings with mob bosses, and no one knew anything about her. Eric started to figure out that Celeste wasn't turning out to be what he thought.

***

Celeste entered the burlesque club, a short stop on their original destination. The group spread out, asking the customers and employees if they had seen someone they were looking for. However, she decided she needed a drink if she was ever going to make it through the night. She went to the bartender and smiled at the Italian man that she had left behind when she fled the city.

"Celeste! What are you doing here?"

"Fabritzio, it is nice to see you again." She smiled.

"I heard you were missing! A man came in not to long ago asking about you!"

"A man?" Her brows furrowed and eyes squinted.

"Yeah. He was really tall, pale skin, blue eyes, blonde hair. He came here asking about you, told me that you were missing!" Celeste's heart dropped. Eric was very close by, which was very very bad. She could only imagine what would happen if he found her and approached her in front of the very skilled team. He wouldn't stand a chance, even with his one thousand years of fighting experience, none of that would matter with her team.

"How long ago did he leave?" Celeste asked with urgency,

"About twenty minutes ago. I am pretty sure he is still in the area. You know how Las Vegas gets a night. People go crazy!"

"Yeah they do." Celeste rushed out of the club, looking in all directions, her eyes darting at every face. Then suddenly a gust of wind went through her, her hair flying around her face, and when she pushed it aside, her eyes-steady on the ground-slowly moved up the lengthy body she recognized and met Eric's strong, undeterred gaze..


	13. Chap 13: Final Choices

Chapter 13: Final Choices

Celeste fell to the ground, blood dripping from her mouth. Her breathing was heavy and her movements slow. She hadn't realized how out of shape she was until she was put in a room with Margo. She slowly picked herself up, gripping the knife in her hand, and turned to face him. He was in bade shape too; Celeste cut him a few times here and there (most of them pretty deep) and his lip was cracked. Margo spit some blood out and looked at the two-way mirror, Celeste followed his gaze. Both of them knew that Malcolm and a few others were watching, seeing as all of them enjoyed watching Margo and Celeste fight. Celeste looked back at Margo and steadied herself -she knew his fighting techniques, he was always the first to charge, and charge he did. He came at her in long strides, almost moving in slow motion to Celeste. He gripped his knife and stretched it out towards her. Celeste quickly moved to her right, moving his arm in the same time, and stepped around him before spinning and making a swift cut down his back. Margo banged against the wall and pounded his fist against it before turning around and charging back at her.

Celeste steadied herself again, anticipating his moves, however, she was unprepared for his next attack. He jumped from one leg to the other before going down to the ground and pulling Celeste's legs from under her with the swipe of his food. Her shoulder hit the ground first, a crack reverberating through out the room, followed by the rest of her body. Margo came to his feet and pulled his leg back before thrusting it into her stomach, repeating the act countless times before she blocked it with her hands and grabbed his foot, taking her knife and driving it into his name. His scream filled her ears as he reached down and grabbed the knife, slowly pulling it out as Celeste found the strength the get to her feet; she grabbed the hair at the nape of his neck and drove it down as she brought her knee up, colliding his bloody face with her dark blue jeans before throwing him to the ground and kicking him in the face one last time. Margo was out cold. Celeste put her hands on her knees, her chest heaving up and down as she struggled to catch her breath. The adrenaline coursing through her slowed and her side was bleeding profusely. She lifted up the side of her shirt, wincing at the slightest movement, and looked at the wound. Margo cut her clean across; about five inches, maybe six. It was the worst he had ever done, and it was deep. Celeste covered it back up and gripped her side.

It was a few minutes before anyone came to get her, she lost a lot of blood and the only thing they would do was stitch her up before throwing her into the fake room, which was actually a vampire holding chamber, it's walls coated with a layer of melted down silver. Eric jumped to his feet from a chair he had been lounging in in the corner of the room at the sight of Celeste. He was at her side instantly and turned her on her back, saying her name.

"Celeste." Her eyes struggled to stay open and flickered open and closed repeatedly. Eric struggled to control himself at the smell of her. Her body was soaked in blood, especially her torso, but he could tell that some of it was not hers. He lightly smacked her face, trying to get her attention. "Celeste come on, stay with me." Eric knew she wasn't going to die, not unless she healed quickly. He could see a pool of blood forming on the side of her and stepped around her, lifting up the side of her shirt to see the poorly stitched gash there. "What the hell did they do to you?" He growled under his breath and carefully carried her over to the bed. He laid her on his lip and bit his wrist, blood quickly pouring from him. "Here, drink." Was all he said before placing his wrist against her mouth. With what strength she had, Celeste pushed his wrist away.

"Don't." It was barely a whisper, but Eric could hear here. He placed his wrist back to her lips, but she pushed it away again. "If you don't you will die." He said sternly, repeating the act for the third time. Celeste rejected him again.

"Maybe it is for the best." Celeste looked at him.

"I'll decide what is for the best." Eric looked back at her.

"You wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for me."

"That's true. But I would rather be here with you, enduring the pain, instead of wondering where you are." Eric grinned.

"You're stupid Eric Northman. And pathetic."

"We made a deal." Eric pulled her closer to him. "You think I'm gonna let you back out just because someone else wants you?" There was silence for a long times and Eric could feel her blood soaking into his clothes. He rested his chin on her head. "Let me help you." For once, Celeste didn't protest. Eric tipped her head back and bit into his already healed wrist. Celeste opened her mouth as much as she could while Eric pressed his wrist against her lips. She could feel his thousand year old blood taking affect almost immediately. Her head stopped hurting and the pain in her side slowly started to fade along with the other injures that had been inflicted upon her. Strength returned to her lips, her hands going to Erics wrist, pressing it closer to her mouth. Once her pain was gone all she could taste was him; his blood scorching down her throat but sweet, smooth, and cold all at the same time. The taste of him was overwhelming as her eyes started to glaze over with a series of emotions, but mostly lust, as she realized how much he desired her. At this sudden connection Eric pulled away, his injury healing slower than usual and laid Celeste down on the bed.

Sleep quickly over took her and Celeste yielded to it. Eric carefully stripped her of her blood soaked clothes and threw them in a corner of the room, leaving her in just her panties and bra. In any other situation he would have been attracted to the sight, but at the moment, all he felt was pity and compassion for the woman. He quickly covered her with the massive blanket and laid down next to her, questions pooling in his head like a swarm of bees. When she woke up he was going to get answers, no matter what.

* * *

When Celeste awoke, she found herself bound to a hard, cold surface. A bright light shined like the sun in her face and she struggled to open them, trying to lift her hand to cover her lids but was unable to. She struggled on the surface, writhing back and forth the break the bonds and frantically looking around the room. It was a large operating room, like the ones she saw on T.V. where people could look down through a giant mirror to see what was happening. The room was dome shaped and completely white, except for the two-way mirror that was fifteen feet to her right. She looked at the mirror, only to see her reflection, then it became slightly translucent and she could see people behind the mirror. She struggled to control herself once she realized who it was. The Council consisted of the head-honchos' of the VAIN Organization. They were the ones that gave the orders and were practically never seen except when a great problem arose. Celeste knew she was in trouble now. She took a deep breath and tried to relax on the hard surface, which turned out to be a metal operating table. She would have no choice but to comply with them A voice erupted over an intercom:

"State your name." It was a man.

"Celeste Abigail Monroe." She lightly tugged on the leather bonding at her wrist.

"Ms. Monroe," A different man spoke. "You have been accused of countless offenses against the Vampire Annihilation and Intelligence Notice Organization. The offenses are as follows: not completing a mission, disobeying orders from your commander of the district, attacking a fellow comrade, abrupt disappearance, refusing to carry out orders pertaining to a target, killing a fellow comrade, hiding a target, stealing from the organization, and fraternizing with the enemy. Do you see all of these to be true?"

"Yes Counselor."

"Are you aware of the consequences for your actions?"

"Yes Counselor." There was silence for a few minutes and a different voice came on.

"Ms. Monroe. It has come to our attention you were given a very important mission to take out a vampire sheriff. And seeing as you have had a very successful and accurate kill streak in the past, excluding the ones from the past two years, we are willing to negotiate your services for your freedom. Do you accept?"

Celeste thought for a moment. She knew what would happen if she failed and if she succeeded. They were giving her a choice that they couldn't go back on; their word was definitely more valuable than Malcolm's. But at that moment all Celeste could think about was Eric; she wondered where he was and if they did anything to him.

"Where is Eric?" She asked.

"The vampire is resting, seeing as it is three in the afternoon." A man said. "Do you accept our offer Ms. Monroe?" He pressed again. Now that she knew Eric was fine she felt a tad bit better.

"I accept Counselor."

"Very well. We shall proceed to make sure this is put on record. Celeste Abigail Monroe, you are to conduct the last and most important mission of your career. What will happen if you should fail?"

Celeste took a deep breath. "If I should fail I give the Vampire Annihilation and Intelligence Notice Organization complete responsibility and permission to execute me in front of the rest of the organization, to be made an example and lesson to prevent future failures."

"And if you should succeed?" He asked.

"If I should succeed I request that I be removed as a soldier from the organization and my name be stripped from the archives. Also that the activation chip located in my spinal column be removed and that the vampire, Eric Northman, being detained be released immediately upon my success."

"Ms. Monroe, you are aware that if we remove the chip all of your memories from the past four years will be completely detached and you will have no recollection of anything that has happened in the last four years."

"I am aware counselor." There was momentary silence. Celeste knew that the Council was deliberating whether or not to meet her requests if she did succeed.

"In addition we cannot make any promises pertaining to the vampire sheriff. We shall release him but if he imposes a attack we will have no choice to execute him and any others that may participate. Do you understand?"

"Yes Counselor."

"Very well, since we have no objects we will see that your requests shall be met in the event of your success, until then, you shall be escorted to District 8 within the next twenty-four hours to carry out your mission. I wish you the best luck." The intercom turned off, leaving only static.

"Thank you Counselor."

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone. First and foremost I would thank you for the reviews, they are amazing (as always!). But I know some of you are kinda freaking out that this is the FINALE! But don't worry, there will be a sequal coming out very shortly. I felt it was about time to start anew, with a different plot and different story in general. So don't worry too much, I just need to get all my jumbled thoughts together and put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard, whatever you want to call it). Now when I say different, i don't mean drastic different, well maybe a little hehe, but it's still going to be the same Celeste we all know and love and the same lucious Eric (who still wants to get into her pants btw). So in a sense, the "deal" is still on, but how it happens, well we'll all know when it happens! So yup, just be patient with me and we will all see how it plays out in do time. Thanks so much for the support and reviews and continue to do so when the sequal comes out. Thanks! -K.A.M


	14. Authors Note

Hello my Teasing Interest/Moonlight Sonata readers! Okay, apparently there is been some kind of confusion and commotion regarding Teasing Interest/Moonlight Sonata. Some of you are unaware the Midnight Sonata is actually the sequel to Teasing Interest, but that's alright, because I have decided to just put both of them together to stop the confusion so to say. So as of now, the chapters in Moonlight Sonata will be placed into the Teasing Interest story, so the story with continue on in Teasing Interest and I will delete Moonlight Sonata so as to stop any pending confusion. For all of you anticipating the new chapter, it is almost ready and will be out very very soon, and i hope this notice has clarified some things for you guys. In conclusion, looking forward to publishing the next chapter, and keep reading and reviewing to see what happens between Celeste and Eric, Celeste and Sam, Sookie and Eric, and Sookie and Bill. Thanks!

-K


	15. Chap 14: New Beginning

**A/N:** Takes place during Season 2, Episode 8/9

**Chapter 14: New Beginning**

One Year Later . . .

Eric stood outside the church, waiting for some kind of alarm or alert to go off. Seeing the petty humans with their wooden arrows and stakes was amusing and annoying all at the same time; if they were to be attacked then and there, nothing would have saved them. But yet, there was doubt in the back of his mind. If the Fellowship of the Sun was able to obtain Godric, the oldest vampire known, then what they were capable of became frightening. Eric took an unnecessary deep breath. An abrupt memory emerged in his mind as he gazed up at the sky, wondering if Sookie and Isabel's human were fine.

He remembered the day in Los Vegas. He exited the burlesque club after asking the bartender about Celeste. He willingly shared a vast amount of information that Eric could not wrap his mind around exactly. Not much longer after his departure he could sense her presence, and if he tried long enough he could taste her scent on his tongue. As he walked around first going farther away from the club, soon realizing that her presence was diminishing as he got farther away, then quickly turned around and saw her from across the street at the entrance of the club. He could recall exactly what she said:

"You shouldn't be here." She said in a low whisper, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Neither should you. I went to the hospital to see you but he disappeared. Explain that to me." Eric struggled to control his anger, clenching his hands into tight fists at his side. Celeste carefully looked over her shoulder, then grabbed his arm and pulled him outside of the club into an nearby ally.

"You have to go Eric." Celeste looked frantically around her.

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain everything to me."

"I will, just not now. I need you to go." She begged. "Please, you're only ma-" She didn't have time to finish when a black leather bag was placed over her head and wrapped tightly around her neck; Eric could do nothing before a large silver chain found it's away around his neck, being followed by smaller ones around his ankles and wrists and a silver fishing net placed over his face only to be covered by a leather bag. He was lifted over someone's shoulder and thrown into what he assumed was a truck. He remembered Celeste being thrown next to him and yelling, only to groan in pain when she was suddenly hit. Eric could remember the feeling of all that silver being over him. Never in his one thousand years had he been so covered with the painful metal. The smell of his flesh burning, his wrists cracking, and the feeling of his chest contracting like he was still human was an all-too-new experience and for once he was afraid.

After that everything else was a haze. His bindings were carefully removed once he and Celeste was placed in a room, the only thing they took off was the silver net around his face and the leather bag before watching Celeste be beaten then dragged across the floor, leaving him in the room alone. Not much time after others came in and undid his bindings; Eric tried to attack, but was only flung against a wall and dragged across the ceiling of the room then suddenly dropped. He had no idea how, but was astonished nonetheless. No one had touched him, yet they had managed to dislocate his shoulder in less than five seconds (which healed quickly). After that he remembered seeing Celeste, half dead, refusing to take any help he provided, then reluctantly giving in. She fell asleep and he promised to get answers, but when he woke from his daylight slumber, she was gone. Night's passed without seeing her and no one would tell him anything-not that he expected them to. Then suddenly, he was released, without warning. When he demanded to know where Celeste was all they said was:

"You don't have to worry about her. You've already been removed from her memories . . . best remove her from your's."

After that other actions were useless. Eric could not find the location of the place he was taken or any of the people that had taken him, and when he asked around no one knew anything. Eventually Sookie and Bill returned to Bon Temps while Eric stayed behind and looked through the slums and mansions of Los Vegas to no avail. Upon his return to Bon Temps he found out his maker, Godric, had gone missing. Thoughts of Celeste were pushed to the back of his mind, however, still very prominent and probing at his brain.

What Isabel said stuck with him. Her words were true: humans were so urgent because their lives were so temporary, but they achieved much in those short bursts of life. Eric began to wonder what Celeste had achieved in her life, if in fact she was dead. He wondered if she had any siblings, where her parents were, if she had ever married or had kids. He chuckled at the thought of Celeste having kids, she would definitely bring a hell storm down on them. But most importantly, Eric Northman couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he met Celeste, an ordinary woman that moved to a small town and had no special abilities except an amazing smile and intoxicating laugh. Would he have tried as hard to understand her? Or would he have been completely oblivious of her like all the other average humans that walked into Fangtasia? Eric wasn't sure, but at the moment he wished that he would have gotten the chance to find out, because everything would have turned out differently.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back slightly, watching the humans continue to pace back and forth, hoping that something would happen so they could use their new toys. If they were lucky, nothing would happen. But knowing Sookie Stackhouse, and whatever she did and wherever she went, trouble always had a way of following her.

* * *

Sam leaned back in his chair, his hands clutching the arm rests and his breathing somewhat struggled. The day was overwhelming for some reason. In the sweet seclusion of his office the doubt and pain that filled his mind consumed him. It had been nearly a year since Celeste left, since Sookie and Bill returned from Los Vegas without her . . . since he reluctantly put her under the care of Eric Northman, whom she undoubtedly trusted. Sam was pissed, to say the least, more than anything else. He knew Eric couldn't be trusted, but she was so stubborn and set on making everyone believe that things were okay with him. Sam intertwined his finger behind his head and looked toward the ceiling. When Eric came back empty handed all hell broke loose. Sam confronted him on numerous occasions, most of them being intoxicated; for the first few months he was in and out of fights and frequently went to the bar of his business and drank, later having a melt down and destroying anything he could get his hands on. But, to his luck, Tara always seemed to be around to help him out. It was thanks to her and her strait-forwardness that he was able to try to come to terms at least a little.

Sam went to the bar, feeling that being in the silence of his office was a bit uncomfortable since he was alone to his thoughts. He took the liberty of restocking some of the popular drinks that his friends enjoyed, seeing as the bar was starting to fill up fast. Andy Bellefleur entered and approached the bar, at first with a smile, but once he saw Sam the corner of his lip turned down in a faint frown. He slapped his hand on the counter and quickly removed the frown and grinned.

"Sam!" He said, taking a seat.

"Hey Andy." Sam said over his shoulder. "What can I get you?"

"My regular. Except give me two beers, I could really use it."

"What's the occasion?"

"Nothin' really. I could just use another one."

Smile shook his head no slightly and grinned. "Sure, I'll get that for you." Sam got Andy his two beers and popped the caps on both of them before handing them to him. He wiped down the counter and contemplated whether or not to ask Andy if he had any leads on Celeste, but decided to wait until he finished his first beer before probing. Lafayette said he had Andy's food done and Sam went to get it. He placed the cheeseburger with extra pickles and fries in front of him. "So has anything come up?" Sam asked with indifference.

"What do you mean?" Andy took a big bite of his burger and wiped his mouth with the side of his hand.

"Well, I mean . . . has anything come up about Celeste?"

Andy stopped mid-chew and wiped his mouth again. He put his burger down and took a drink from his beer. "Nah. Nothings come up. But you gotta understand that Los Vegas is out of our jurisdiction: we can't get any information from that area, and it's been more than a year Sam."

"Yeah, yeah I know." Sam's head dropped. "Just wishful thinking I guess."

"Celeste was a great girl Sam. I had the chance to talk to her every now and then, even thought it was very rare, but I did get to. But there is nothing else we can do Sam, we have to pull out of the investigation. There are other cases that need our attention."

"No it's fine, I understand." Sam nodded to Andy and left the bar, going to the kitchen to get something to snack on. Terry was at the island in the middle of the kitchen cutting up vegetables and Lafayette was at the grill flipping burgers and seasoning them lightly. Lafayette looked over his shoulder to see Sam and Terry looked at him from the corner of his eye. Sam went over to Terry and grabbed one of the sliced tomatoes and ate it, leaning against the freezer as he did so. There was silence, awkward silence, and Lafayette was getting annoyed.

"Sam, you're my boss and all, but what the hell do you want?" Lafayette gripped the metal spatula in the palm of his hand and pointed it in Sam's direction.

"Nothing, I'm just . . .bored."

"You are not bored, you're never bored. You just distracted." Lafayette didn't have to ask to know what was distracting him. It's wasn't new news to anyone. In a way he felt bad for Sam: he never go the chance to confess how he felt to Celeste, he reluctantly let her go to Los Vegas, and he put her in the hands of one of the people he hated most. Yeah Sam definitely had it harder than most of the people in Bon Temps, considering he had a lot more to loose when it came to the missing/possibly dead woman. Lafayette flipped the raw meat on the grill again.

"Andy said he is calling off the investigation." Sam said suddenly. Silence filled the room; Terry looked over his shoulder slowly at Sam.

"What did you expect Sam?" Lafayette's heart sank a little. "They can't look for her forever. It's already been more than a year."

"Has it really been that long?" Terry asked.

"Yeah." Lafayette said in a deep exhale. "More than a year since our baby girl went missing."

"Celeste really was a nice lady." Terry put the cutting knife down. "At least now we can finally move on and forget anything ever happened." Terry bit down on his bottom lip and quickly wiped away the pool of water that was forming in his eyes.

"Don't talk about her like that." Sam tapped his foot. "Don't talk about her like she's dead."

"Sam sooner or later you're gonna have to accept the truth just like everyone else. Cici is gone, and there's nothing we can do about it." Lafayette nearly yelled. Talking about Celeste always made him angry, probably because he missed her more than anyone else, and he hope more than anyone that she wasn't dead.

"That isn't true."

"Cici is gone!" Silence suddenly filled the bar, people at the tables and booths sitting quietly, remembering Celeste and listening to Lafayette. "She's gone Sam! And it's about time you realize that just like everybody else." Before Lafayette could react Sam was on him. In one shift move Sam shoved his employee against the tin service counter, causing Lafayette to bang his back against the hard side, leaving a rectangular imprint of the side.

"Until I see her in a body bag she is still alive!" Sam looked to the crowed of people staring at him. "I don't give a fuck what any of you have to say. She's alive." He marched out of the kitchen, went through the back door, stripped his clothes off as he headed to the woods and shifted into a dog, running away from the whispering voices and on looking eyes.

* * *

Reverend Newlin paced back and forth in his office. Words could not describe how he was feeling at that moment in time. He had gained a vampire and was going to make him see the holy light of God and be burned like the damned creature he was. He grinned at the thought of what it would be like once the day finally approached. But for the moment he had other distractions. Sookie Stackhouse, Jason Stackhouse's sister, was at the Fellowship of the Sun with her supposed "fiancé" , but he had heard much about her and knew that they were up to no good. He had hidden them in the basement of the church, but was unsure of what to do with them. Reverend Newlin knew they came for Godric, but now that he had them in his grasp he found it difficult to find a substantial and somewhat humane punishment for their sinful fang-banger ways.

The idea of have intimate relations with a vampire made Steve Newlin's skin crawl. How could people do it? He wondered. Their bodies were hard and cold, they could only come out at night, and they lacked self control. Not only that, any wrong move and they could or would kill you. His bottom lip started to quiver and his hands slowly balled into fists. At Sookie Stackhouse's arrival he wondered what Jason's intent was, but wasn't sure. He didn't seem that smart, then again, looks could be very deceiving.

He grabbed the glass off water of his desk and drank it greedily, quenching his prolonged thirst. A subtle knock came from his door and he told the guest to come in, taking a seat at the corner of his desk while putting the glass down. He was surprised to see a group of young, well younger than him anyway, kids come in, most in their early twenties and late teens.

"Reverend Newlin?" One of them asked, as if wondering if he was busy.

"Adam. Come on in. It seems you've brought some new faces with you."

"Yeah." The boy replied. "I was just telling them about the lock in that's suppose to happen tomorrow night, they are very interested in participating aside from the regulars."

"Of course, we could always use more young people in the house of God, to spread his holy word and make the world a better place, one step at a time." He went to his desk and pulled out a stack of papers from one of the drawers, sorting through them and separating them into different piles. He placed the papers at the front of his desk so his guests could look at them while he spoke. "Now there are just a few informational forms that I will need you to fill you if you really want to do the lock in. Name, address, phone number, etc. And these other ones are pretty much a list of things you might need like sleeping bags, PJ's, and toiletries. There is also a list of guidelines and rules that must be followed; there are going to be very young children here, we don't want them hearing or seeing inappropriate things, so you can understand that this is a strictly G-rated lock in. Aside from that you can just fill out the forms, take any informational packets you may desire and give them to me before ya'll leave. How's that sound?" Words of thanks and excitement filled the room and he patted a few on the back as he left his office. However, as he departed, someone called his name. When he turned around he saw one of the women that was just in his room with the information form in hand.

"Reverend Newlin." She said.

"Yes?"

"I just had one questions to ask."

"Please ask and I will answer as best I can." He said with a smile.

"While we were approaching the church I noticed a lot of people standing outside with wooden stakes and arrows and other kinds of weapons. Would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you are guarding the church from-"

"And what exactly would we be guarding the church from?" Steve interjected before she could finish.

"Well, we have all seen you on the news, and you're not exactly pro-vampire. Are you expecting some kind of attack, is that why there are so many armed people outside?"

"I am here to spread the word of God and his light. Vampires never see the light, therefore they are not creatures of God. Their only intent is to destroy all that is rightfully his, which includes us." Steve placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "In spreading his holy word we are protecting ourselves and destroying that is which darkness. We as a human organism are constantly battered and beaten and swayed by the ways of the darkness, so yes, we are preparing for an attack. Because right now, innocent people are being attacked by vampires as we speak, and if we are not prepared we will be destroyed by the darkness and his Holy Light will fade away, leaving only the Devil and his minions to walk this wonderful Earth." Steve stood erect. "Does that answer your question?"

The woman thought for a second. What he said did make sense, but he mad it sound like the world was coming to an end. She shook the awkward feeling off. "Yeah I guess." She replied. "What you said made a lot of sense Reverend. Now, I'm kinda looking forward to the lock in tomorrow night." She smiled.

"Well I'm glad. I hope to see you there tomorrow night."

"You will Reverend Newlin."

"Great. What is your name?"

"Christina, sir."

"Christina?" He cocked a brow. "Don't you have a sister here?"

"Yes sir, she's working on the bon fire thing, at least that's what she told me."

* * *

All hell broke loose, and the shit was starting to hit the fan. Luke watched as the vampire cringed on the marble slab at the alter. The lock-in barely even started when everyone started to go crazy and a vampire alert went out. His grip on the stake tightened and he wondered how the nights events would turn out. Was there going to be a holy bon fire at dawn? Or was everyone gonna die? It was hard to say, but at the moment he hoped it would be the first one. He took in a deep breath as Reverend Newlin spoke, talking about the silver on the vampire and something about a child. In all honesty he was scared-no he was terrified. Never in his life had he ever been in the same room, let alone seen a vampire one on one. It was a completely new experience and he wondered how the rest of the soldiers were holding up.

While in mid-thought, someone tapped him on his shoulder and told him that someone was waiting at the foyer for him. He looked at the doors then at the vampire and decided to see who it was. He exited the church and went to the foyer; he was surprised to see Christina there, shifting her weight from one leg to the other with a stake clutched in both hands. She looked kind of cute when she was nervous.

"Christina," Luke approached her. "What are you doing here?"

"Luke have you seen my sister?"

"You're sister? As a matter of fact no. I haven't seen her all day."

"Are you sure?" Christina started shifting her weight more and her words came out extremely fast, something she did when she was nervous. "Because I know there's a vampire alert out and all and I know she's a soldier or whatever you want to call it, but I haven't seen her since the alert went out and honestly I'm getting kinda scared and I know she is suppose to be working with Reverend Newlin on this bon fire project thing but she didn't tell me exactly what it was and now I'm really worried about her because no one seems to know where she is and I don't wont her to get drained by one of those bloodsuckers and now that there's a vampire in the church I'm afraid I'm gonna die and she won't be here to protect me and-"

"Now hold on a second Christina." Luke interjected. "We got everything under control, no one is going to die except for the piece of shit vampire in their, and you're sister is probably in downtown Dallas doing some things for the Reverend."

"But what if she doesn't come back?"

"I'm pretty sure someone called her telling her about the situation. She's probably on her way right now." Luke placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now I want you to go outside with everybody else, and I'll let you know when it's time to come back in." He smiled. Christina did not object to that and quickly went outside, still gripping her stake between her chest. Luke huffed and shook his head. He stayed in the foyer for a few seconds, just calming his nerves and preparing himself mentally for the vampire that was waiting in the church. When he was just about to enter the church, the foyer doors opened.

* * *

Eric cringed under the silver, his fangs protruding and hands like claws. He did everything for his maker, that is why he was there. Godric was the most important thing to him, he was his maker, the bond was stronger than anyone could imagine. The silver against his neck burned immensely, however, he was glad it wasn't on his face.

"I offer myself, in exchange for Godric's freedom." Eric glanced over at Sookie. "And the girls as well."

"That's noble." Steve Newlin leaned down towards Eric. "But she's just as culpable as you are." He grinned and looked at Sookie. "She is a traitor to her race. The human race. She hardly deserves mercy." Steve took a few steps around Eric. "Maybe we should tie her to you so you can meet the sun together." He took a few steps towards Sookie. "I bet this marshmallow would roast up nicely."

* * *

At the end of the evening, everything turned out okay. Godric was returned to his rightful place, Reverend Newlin was stopped, and everyone was safe. At least that is what Sookie thought. She wondered how things got so bad, and how her idiotic brother got involved in such a complicated mess. But she was happy that he was okay, and if it wasn't for his help she probably wouldn't be alive. Sookie crossed her arms over her chest and let out a deep breath. Deep down inside she hoped she would never have to go through such a horrific experience again. But another thought nagged at her. Where was Bill when every thing was happening? He had come for her, time and time again when she was in danger; but what kept him? Why didn't he go to her when she screamed for him? She found it hard to believe that anything could keep Bill away. But when his maker suddenly arrived at the nest and told her that she was the reason why Bill wasn't there, well things didn't end very well. As she began the unsettle the peace of the nest Godric intervened and told Bill to escort her out. So for the moment she was alone, her thoughts and anger still making it's way out of her system. Some much needed distraction came when a female vampire approached her and asked her a few questions just to make conversation; Sookie was glad to say the least, Bill's maker brought out an ugly side of her and her only desire was to push it all away.

* * *

"You don't have to do this Luke." Adam said in the drivers seat. They pulled up a block away from the house, where they were told to go by Reverend Newlin.

"He's right. You don't." Luke looked at her and took her hand in his.

"I have to. We have to teach these vamps a lesson."

"No you don't Luke." She adjusted herself in the seat and looked at her sister, Christina in the back seat. "Reverend Newlin has lost his mind. To tell you to do this, not even to ask you , is crazy. We all could have died tonight, but because of Godric we didn't. By going in there you are destroying every ounce of improvement we have made."

"They are vampires. They don't deserve our trust or our respect. They were the ones that cast the first stone, now we're just throwing it back." He let go of her hand and opened the van door. Before he could get out he felt a hand on his arm. He looked to see her holding onto him.

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" She asked. Luke looked at her with a perplexed expression. "What have vampires ever done to you? Have you even seen one before tonight?"

"It don't matter what they've done to me personally."

"Yes it does." She protested. "Why do you hate them so if they haven't done anything to you? The only reason why we're in this mess is because Reverend Newlin is holding a grudge, and he's blaming all vampires for the death of his family. Are you going to give up your life just because he can't let go of the past?"

"It isn't about that."

"Then what? What is all this about? What are you about to sacrifice your life for?" Luke didn't reply. "Fine. If you're so set on doing this, at least let me walk you in." She said. Luke looked at the house then at her. He nodded his head and helped her get out of the van.

* * *

Eric could sense something, what he wasn't sure, but he knew something was off. He made sure to stay close to Sookie until the feeling faded, but the feeling only grew more intense. For some odd reason he got the urge to go to walk around the house, feeling something pulling at him. Emotions started to flood his senses: nervousness, fear, pain, sorrow and anger. The emotions became overwhelming as he came closer to the living room, where everyone was. He heard the door open and listened to two voices. Something was oddly familiar about one of them. The voices ceased and the door closed. He watched the hall as someone approached the living room. Jason Stackhouse seemed to immediately recognize him and before he could share words the man pushed him away, telling him to go. Eric stood erect and listened as the man asked for everyone's attention.

* * *

Christina watched from the back of the van, her face planted against the side window. Adam and the others went to the side of the house, thinking that Luke really wasn't going to commit suicide with the bombs attached to him and kill a whole bunch of vampires in the process. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing became struggled. She watched as her sister exited the house. Christina let out a sigh of relief, knowing her sister was no longer in danger. She tapped on the glass of the car, getting her older siblings attention. She waved at her and smiled, but it was quickly wiped away when an explosion erupted, shaking the car violently and the windows of the house exploding behind her sister. Christina hid in the seats, covering her ears, waiting for the shaking to stop. When she looked back up she saw her sister on the driveway, face down. Christina almost ran out until she saw Adam and the others running back to the van, Adam picking up the fallen comrade and struggling to get her to the car. Nobody could have known what would happen next. Adam fell to the ground, tripping over his shoelaces. The others were already in and they told him to hurry, but there was no way he could get him and his comrade inside the car before the vampires came out. In a split second he decided to leave her, hardly breathing on the asphalt,. He grabbed her body and pulled her to the side of the rode, next to a small brick wall. She clutched the sleeve of his jacket, trying to hold on to him, but he shook her off and ran to the car, got in the drivers seat and drove off while Christina yelled in the back of the van, screaming for them to get her sister. However, one of the men was pulled out, just before they could speed off, by Bill Compton and was bitten seconds later.

* * *

Eric was satisfied with himself at the moment. Even though a suicide bomber entered Godric's house and killed a few vampires and companions (his concern was only for his maker in the end) he was extremely satisfied with himself. He made the bond with Sookie, as he had always intended to, and found that it was deceptively easy. Sookie was naturally a kind and caring girl, so he counted on that side of her when he pretended to be dying from the silver lunged in his chest and other parts of his body. So when she reluctantly decided to suck it out, proving her kindness even to the people she hated, he couldn't help but grin. Someone handed him a towel as they exited the now destroyed house and he gingerly wiped himself off. Now, he had expected their to be a huge fuss over the events, but as he walked across the driveway he noticed a small crowed building on the side, next to a minor brick wall. He looked over his shoulder to see Sookie and Bill, with his arm over her shoulder and her arm around his waist, behind him. He wiped off his blood soaked shoulder and looked back at the growing group of vampires and humans that were hovering over something. As he approached her could see a body, nothing else.

"What's going on?" He demanded over the clabber of voices.

"It's a human." Said someone. "But she is not anyone's companion." Eric stepped closer and pushed a few people aside, trying to get a closer look at the mysterious human that appeared out of no where. At first, the face was unrecognizable; hair covered the face along with dirt and gravel, but the blood could be clearly smelt. His nostrils inflamed as he immediately recognized the scent; it was burned into his senses. In a flash he was next to the human, kneeling, and pushed the mess of hair aside. If his heart was beating it would have stopped, and if breathing was a necessity that would have stopped as well. Eric's body went rigid, his mouth went dry, his eyes glazed over with confusion. All the wonder, curiosity, searching, and silent pain he had endured flooded him. His hands shook as he reached out to the human, carefully grazing his fingers against the fragile and cold flesh. Everything he felt at that moment, was exemplified in one word:

"Celeste."


	16. Chap 15: Mine

**A/N:** Hey, sorry so it took so long to get this chapter out, but I'm gonna get them out as fast as I can. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them and please continue reviewing!

p.s. in this sequel all the things that happened in Bon Temps during the second season (mary-ann, the maenad, and possession and all that jazz) is not going to happen in here, so it makes things go a lot smoother with the rest of the plot and characters. Anyways, enjoy.

**Chapter 15: Mine**

Celeste wasn't sure of what she remembered. Now-a-days it was difficult for her to remember anything. Everyday seemed to merge with the next and sometimes, when her memory was really bad, she couldn't remember the last time she ate or had a conversation or even her family. She didn't know when it started (one of the many cons of her horrible memories) but one thing she was certain of, was that whenever she mentioned it to her family they never took her to a doctor. Anyone at the age of twenty-five would be expected to be on their own, but Celeste's family was set on keeping her in the household. She thought they were just clingy; how some reluctant parents get when they don't want their kids to fly the nest, but at times she also thought that they needed her, and sometimes-due to her memory lapses- she needed them.

So when Celeste woke up, in a completely new and different environment, she considered it another one of her episodes. She opened her eyes and saw blackhen she looked around she still saw black. Celeste could feel something soft under her and wrapped around her. Realizing that she was in bed she tried to sit up, however, when she noticed the white wrapping around her arms she stayed down and looked at them.

_What happened to me? _She thought, lightly pressing the cloth on her right arm. She felt no pain, only a tingling sensation from the wrappings and reluctantly unwrapped the cloth, starting from her wrist up to her shoulder. She looked at her arm and saw nothing, only somewhat tan flesh, but no traces of any damage. She undid her other arm and saw the same thing. She outstretched her arms in front of her and compared one to the other: she could see no flaws or cuts, bruising, burns, or anything that would look damaging to her skin. It was only then did she notice the wrapping around her torso. It went from her hips to her breasts, covering her bra in the white material. It was tight around her and constricting. For the moment Celeste felt her torso, pressing gently against her skin incase their was any sudden pain but there wasn't. She slowly removed the material around her, starting on her side then pulling it around before using her other arm to grab it from behind and bringing around again. When she was finished she saw nothing, she felt nothing.

She looked around the room: the walls were black and there was a counter with a sink and small fridge directly in front of the bed, there was a small desk on the left of the bed, and a door in the far right corner of the room. Celeste carefully got up, wondering where she was and what she was doing there. Seeing a pair of clothes at the end of the bed, she went over to them and looked. She didn't recognize them, she knew they weren't hers. It was a dress, a beige halter dress, about knee length. The design was simple yet elegant, with small folds shaped toward the left, creating a wave-like appearance and a thin matching ribbon tied around the torso. Next to the dress was a pair of black, open-toe, 2 inch, high heels. A series of straps around the nose of the shoe made it open toe, leaving small spaces between each strap and a gold clip in the center.

Celeste looked at herself, wearing only a black lace bra with matching panties, then at the dress and shoes. She didn't have much of a choice to wear them, seeing as her clothes were gone and there was nothing else in the room. She quickly slipped the dress on, adjusting it around her breasts so that it wouldn't fall down, and put the shoes on. She took a few steps in the shoes, getting used to the feel of them. "What the hell is this?" She was confused and unsure. She had no idea where she was or what she was even doing there, now she was wearing a expensive dress, she could tell just by the smell, and shoes she would never be caught in. She fixed her hair in a mirror on a closet door, pulling all of it into her hands and wrapping it in a loose bun, letting a few strands loose to frame her face. She wasn't sure why she cared about how she looked, but she couldn't help but think that in the back of her mind that someone had gone to great lengths to get her the things she wore at the moment.

When she was finally ready she closed the closet and looked at the door. _There is someone on the other side of that door_, she thought. Her hand reached out toward the knob, but regressed slightly before completely clutching it. Celeste carefully turned in, her breathing in sync with her heartbeat. She turned the knob and cracked the door open, light immediately entering the room through the crack. She opened it completely and looked in: in front of her was a small living area, with a few couches and a large flat screen television, and next to that was an open bedroom, the bed the only visible thing she could see. Celeste stepped out of the bedroom, one foot crossing the other as she entered the living area slowly. As she drew closer she noticed that a man, in a black leather jacket and jeans, was sitting on the edge of the bed in the other room. Her brows furrowed and her head tilted to the side, becoming very cautious and hesitant at the sight of him. He must have registered her presence, for he looked at her then at the ground. Celeste took a few more steps toward him until she was just outside his bedroom, a few feet away from him.

"Who are you?" She asked, holding on to her arms feeling suddenly vulnerable.

"It's been more than a year." The man said. He tilted his head in her direction. "Have you any idea how long I searched for you?"

"Excuse me?" Celeste replied confused. The man stood up abruptly. Celeste took a few steps back in surprise; he was very tall-hovering over her like some type of predator in the sky-but he was also very attractive: his blonde hair slicked back, carefully parted on the side, his deep set blue eyes, pale skin, chiseled jaw structure, and the way his attire hugged his skin, outlining his defined abs under a black beater, his jeans loose but fitting around his legs, and the leather jacket that made him look even more appealing shocked Celeste. Her breath hitched in her throat. The man took a few steps toward her and she suddenly started to panic. She stepped backward, bumping into furniture in her attempt to evade him. "Stay back." Before she could do anything to prevent herself from falling, she bumped into a couch, her knees buckling underneath her and fell into it, somewhat laying and sitting down. He was in front of her, hovering over her again like that predator she recognized earlier. "Don't." She stretched out her arm to keep him away, her hand colliding with his chest. A bolt of cold washed over her, sending shivers down her spine. Celeste immediately retracted her hand, holding it in the other. "You're a vampire." Was all she could say. Fear shook her, her bottom lip quivered as he moved closer to her.

"You already know this." He said. Her breath hitched in her throat again.

"What do you want? Huh? I haven't done anything."

"But you have." His expression suddenly hardened.

"What?" Celeste didn't know why, but a sudden surge of anger began to boil inside of her. She didn't know where it was coming from, however, she felt, deep down inside, that this is how she should react. She should be yelling and thrashing and hitting instead of sinking into the couch, shaking from fear. It felt right, it felt familiar, but still, she wasn't sure why. "What? What have I done?" She blurted. "What the fuck have I done to deserve this?" Wrinkles formed on her forehead from frustration.

The man crossed his arms over his chest, his expression still hard and menacing. "Now that's the Celeste I know."

"Stop talking to me like you know me." She replied disgusted. The man kneeled in front of her, one of his hands going to her bare knee. She immediately smacked it away and hissed, her eyes filled with hatred, her lips slightly quivering in anger. He noticed this and growled deep down inside him, but this didn't phase Celeste. For some odd reason she wasn't afraid of him like she was of other vampires.

"I do know you," his expression softened a little as the hand that had been slapped away slowly moved next to her on the couch, moving to the hem of the dress and slightly tugging at it. "In more ways than one." She slapped his hand away again.

"Go fuck yourself." she snarled.

"I'd rather fuck you." He grinned and stood up. "Come," he offered her his hand. "it is time to go." Celeste crossed her arms under her breasts, unintentionally lifting them up, making them look fuller, and crossed her legs. This gesture caught his eye and a deep growl emerged from in his chest.

"I am not going anywhere with you." She looked at the wall, trying to find something to keep from meeting his gaze.

"It wasn't a question Celeste."

"Stop saying my name! Nobody even calls me that anymore! You don't know me! I don't know who you are! I don't even know where I fucking am!" She shot up from her seat, her body merely inches away from his. "I am leaving, and not with you." Before she could take even one step to the door she was pinned against a wall, her hands restrained on either side of her head, immobile by his large hands. His body was pressed close against her, strangled breaths coming from her lungs. The once stoic and teasing vampire darkened in front of her, his face hardening like some kind of demon sprung from hell for the first time. His voice course and husky as he spoke:

"You listen to me Celeste Monroe," He pressed his hard body closer to her, causing her to wince under the pressure and lack of air. "I don't give a fuck what you want. But you will not continue to play these childish games with me. You are _mine _now. You are _my_ woman . . .and you are never leaving again. So keep pretending like you don't know me Celeste," he hissed against her ear. "keep pretending." His grip loosened and he released her, taking a few steps back, watching her gasp for air, clutching her throat as she coughed hard to breath again.

* * *

Eric departed to the bar, leaving Celeste alone in the room after his little stunt. You would think that after a thousand years of living he would have a grounded amount of self control-that nothing could get under his skin anymore; but yet things still managed to make him boil on the inside. He sat at the bar, not doing anything, just sitting there . . .thinking. Eric didn't know why he did it, he didn't know why he attacked her like that. Even in the past, for the short amount of time he knew Celeste, he never attacked her. Back then things were much simpler though. But maybe they weren't. Eric still had no idea of what happened in Las Vegas, or how Celeste was involved with the VAIN Organization. He didn't know what she was doing in Dallas or that she was even alive. But if Eric knew anything was for certain it was that Celeste had changed. Something, he wasn't sure what, was off with her. Whenever he cornered her in the past there was some type of resistance, whether it be her field or just mentally not being there, but when he pinned her against the wall there was no sign of that, not even a hint of it-only submission and fear. The Celeste Eric Northman knew would not have given in, let alone shown her fear, that easily.

While drowning in his thoughts, Eric did not notice when someone sat next to him at the bar.

"Why are you not with Celeste?" Eric immediately recognized the voice as Bill Compton's. He slightly turned to him, catching his eye, then looked away. "I hear there was a ruckus, coming from your room I presume?" Bill continued.

"That is none of your business." Eric replied caustically.

"We were all suppose to go for dinner an hour ago, to welcome Celeste back into our lives; however you and I are here, Sookie is in her room, and Celeste?" Bill turned his body towards Eric, leaning slightly against the bar counter.

"She is not herself." Eric replied quickly, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers as his elbows perched on the counter.

"I would expect that Eric." Bill grinned. "We haven't seen her for more than a year, she is bound to change."

"That is not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" Bill pressed. Eric thought for a moment. What did he mean? The incident with Celeste was awkward and alarming. He had never seen her in such a conflicted and confused state. Something just wasn't off with her, something was wrong with her. Her words, her actions, it was as if she was treating Eric as a complete stranger-as if she didn't know him at all. He replayed the scenario in his head over and over again, analyzing the situation from every different angle and using his past memories as a comparison. Eric couldn't defeat the fact that Celeste was altered, to what extent he wasn't sure, but he knew, just from the look in her eyes, that she didn't know who he was. Eric took an unnecessary deep breath out of habit while his interlaced fingers struggled not to ball into large fists.

"She does not remember me." He said finally.

* * *

Sookie's fingers drummed against her arms. She was infuriated to say the least: she was pissed off. She stood up from the couch, her anger and frustration overwhelming her, it was practically oozing from her skin. The fact that Bill and Eric could sense how she was feeling made her even more upset. If she knew Bill wouldn't come to the room, she would have completely destroyed it, crashing anything within arms reach and then some. How could Celeste be back? When she disappeared Sookie thought she was in the clear; she didn't have to worry about that whore stealing Eric, or him loosing interest in her. However, now that she was back, Sookie had no idea what she was going to do.

"Now that she's back, Eric's probably never gonna let her leave." She said to herself while pacing the length of the living room. "But that doesn't mean nothing's going to keep her from leaving." As she thought about it more and more, getting Celeste to be gone, permanently, became a tad bit more clearer. Someone came to mind. Someone she knew had a lot of interest in Celeste. She went to her purse and grabbed her cell phone, dialing the number from memory. She pressed the talk button and the phone started to ring.

* * *

Sam wiped down a few of the tables as Merlottes closed. Everyone else was taking their leave, but Sam felt restless, needing to do something. He worked around the bar, restocking, emptying bottles, making sure the trash was taken out, picking up left behind items or garbage. It was only when his cell phone rang that he took a moment to relax. He flipped it open and pressed the talk button. "Hello?" Sam sat down at one of the booths, feet hanging out on the side.

"Sam. It's Sookie."

"Hey Sook. Aren't you still in Dallas?" He picked at the corner of the table nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but I have to tell you something." She said, her voice stern. Sam furrowed his brows, as if she were in front of him and stopped picking at the table.

"What is it?"

"We found Celeste." At the mention of her name his heart sank. It took a second for his mind to register her words. He couldn't comprise a reply except to ask her again. When she gave him the same answer he slouched back into the seat, his heart pounding in his chest, his breathing coming our in long breaths.

"You found her?" He asked with as much composure as he could muster. "You're not fucking with me right?"

"We found her Sam, she's here in Dallas." Sam wasn't sure if Sookie was telling the truth, and honestly he wanted to believe her, but something about her voice made him believe she was lying.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, wondering if she was just telling him or trying to start something. There was a pause before she spoke.

"I know you're interested in her Sam." There was a long moment of silence. He waited for her to explain herself. "We're coming back tomorrow night. I want you to be at the airport when we arrive." She said.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Sookie asked. "Eric is gonna be keeping Celeste by his side once we get there; he isn't going to let her out of his sight."

"What does that have to do with me?" He asked uninterested, but growled at the thought.

"Heavens Sam! If you are not at that airport when we arrive there is no way in hell you are going to see her. Eric knows that you are interested in Celeste, and now that he has her back do you think he is going to let you see her? He is going to do everything in his power to keep her away from the bar. If you're at the airport there is no way Eric can hide you from her, not to mention he'll probably be in one of those Anubis coffin things, so he won't be able to do anything if you are there."

Sam thought about her words. He missed Celeste so much, and hated Eric for taking her to Las Vegas in the first place and returning to Bon Temps empty handed. There were so many things he wanted to do to that bastard at the moment, driving a stake through his face or putting him in a silver coffin and dropping it into a lake was just a few of the things on his list. He combed his fingers through his hair. Celeste was back, she wasn't dead. Celeste was back into his life, or at least would be very very soon, and this time, he wasn't going to let her go so easily. "Okay." Sam said finally. "What time?"

He could hear Sookie smiling as she spoke. "Around 2:30 or 3 a.m., maybe sooner. Just make sure you're their Sam, this may be the only chance you are going to get."

"Why are you doing this Sookie?" He asked abruptly. A few minutes passed before she replied. Sam repeated the question again, leaning forward as if she were right in front of him. He couldn't help but wonder what was keeping her from giving a reply, all he knew that it couldn't mean a good thing.

"I know how you feel about her Sam. I just think you should have a proper opportunity to express yourself to her." There was a pause. "And besides, do you really want her to be under the care of the man that lead her away and lost her in the first place?" Sam didn't wait much time to hang up on her. He didn't really believe what she said, but then again he didn't really care: all that mattered was that he was getting a second chance with Celeste, and he wasn't going to waste it.


	17. Chap 16: Planting the Seeds of Deception

**A/N:** So here is the latest chapter, hope you enjoy it. Reviews are greatly appreciated. I will be completely honest, this is a little bit different from my usual posts, but I wanted to make it a bit more interesting from the beginning. And just so you know, because I have been asked this quite a bit, nothing happened between Sookie and Eric during that year. Sookie stayed "loyal" to Bill and Eric, well Eric was Eric lol.

**Chapter 16: Planting the Seeds of Deception**

Sookie tapped her foot on the floor, her arms crossed over her chest, as she observed Celeste. They were on a private jet back to Bon Temps and Sookie was more than happy to be leaving. Celeste sat directly across from her, gazing out the window-looking at the billions of stars through the haze of clouds-in an anything but simple black dress that hugged every part of her skin, that Eric undoubtedly made her wear, with black pumps, courtesy of Eric as well, Sookie assumed. The only thing separating the two women was a large table connected to the wall of the jet, covered with magazines, two wine glasses, and a bottle of wine that neither drank. Sookie's eyes squinted at the sight of Celeste.

_How could Eric want that? _She thought. _She's not that pretty, and she doesn't even remember us for Christ sake! How could he still want her when she doesn't even know him? Yes, Eric loves a challenge. He thrives on obtaining women he can't have, like me, but I think that's what makes Celeste and I different. _Sookie thought about this even deeper. _With me, my attitude is enough to keep him away . . .sometimes. But with Celeste, being able to physically keep Eric at a distance? Well I guess he would find the appeal in that, since after all, if he did conquer the one woman that could keep him away, then there was nothing he couldn't do. Not to mention that would skyrocket his ego, which is big enough as it is. Maybe that is why he is so set on getting to her. Does that make me unchallenging now? Does that mean he is going to continue to loose interest until he gets what he wants? _

Sookie stopped thinking about it and decided to use a different tactic. She figured that if Celeste didn't remember her or Bill or Eric, then she wasn't going to remember anybody else in Bon Temps, and she knew that Sam was going to be at the airport once they arrived, so maybe she could start convincing Celeste that Sam was the better choice early on.

"Hey, Celeste?" Sookie put on a fake smile and rest her arms on the table. Celeste looked at her from the corner of her eye, then back out the window. "Celeste, can we talk? Please?" Sookie easily hid her ignited frustration.

"For?" Celeste didn't look at Sookie when she replied.

"Well just to talk. I mean, I know all of this is weird for you, seeing as you have no idea what's going on, but I was hoping that you and I could get to know each other; I get the feeling that we're going to be seeing each other a lot."

"Now what would give you that impression?" Celeste turned around and looked at Sookie. Sookie took a deep breath and put on a small smile.

"Eric really-"

"Don't even get me started on the asshole." Celeste abruptly cut off. "He kidnaps me. Assaults me. Forces me to wear these stripper clothes. Makes me get on a plane to go to some town I've never even heard of, and at the same time, expects to get all close and personal with him and eventually get in his bed. I hate that vamps guts with a passion, so don't talk to me about that fucker." Celeste crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the seat, her face becoming heated with rage and a tint of red appearing on her cheeks and forehead.

"I did not know you felt that way." Sookie lied. She reached out and grabbed Celeste's hand, pulling it from her body so that both were set on top of each other in the center of the table. "Just so you know, I hate him too. Eric is always trying to get between me and Bill, and at one point I thought he would try to take advantage of me while we were in Dallas. I mean it's bad enough that he tricked me into drinking his blood, but to do this, it's horrible." Celeste gave Sookie a really quick once over, her brows furrowed together, creating small wrinkles where they met, her mouth slightly hanging open. She slowly tugged her hand away.

"Yeah, compared to you my life is a breeze. I don't have two leeches trying to mess with me." She replied sarcastically. "Where the hell are we going anyway? Where is Bon Temps?" She changed the subject. Sookies' lips curled into a snarl as she sat back in the seat, which quickly disappeared when Celeste returned her gaze.

"It's in Louisiana." She replied.

"Louisiana?" Celeste said in disgust. "Louisiana? With just a bunch of rednecks and cow herders? Oh hell no."

Sookie hid her now inflamed anger with a laugh. "Well we do have rednecks, but no cow herders. Bon Temps is a really nice place once you get to know it."

"I don't want to get to know it." Celeste snapped. "I want to go back to Dallas and be with my family and friends and the Fellowship, not with a whole bunch of hillbilly's that live on a swamp."

"It's not that bad, really. Yeah it's a small town, but in a way it's like we're all family. Not to mention there is this place called Merlottes. It's kind of the place everyone goes to after a long day of work or to just hang out with friends. My friend and boss Sam Merlotte owns the place. I'm gonna take you there once we get to town."

"I ain't going anywhere." Celeste tapped her food on the ground. "Someone is going to have to drag me off of this plane to get me anywhere near that town."

"Eric will do it." There was silence for a moment, neither Sookie nor Celeste saying anything. Sookie bit on her tongue to bite back the raging furry building inside her. Listening to Celeste talk down on her town, the one she had been born in and come to know and love, infuriated her. Yes, Bon Temps had it's fair share of problems, but to hear Celeste speak of it as if it was some, some, well she didn't know, but to speak about it that way did not sit well with Sookie Stackhouse at all. But she controlled herself, remembering what she was trying to do. _Warm her up about Sam, that's all you gotta do Sookie. Just warm her up. _She though behind closed eyes. "You know, my boss, he's really cute." Sookie said nonchalantly. Celeste rolled her eyes and looked back out the window. "Actually, I think I have a picture of him in my phone." Sookie rummaged through her purse, grabbing her phone and flipping it open. She quickly found the picture and put it out for Celeste to see. At first she didn't pay any attention, but decidedly looked at the picture. It was a man at a bar, with scruffy hair and a blue plaid shirt on, scrubbing down the counter with a cloth. The picture focused on his face, showing all his features.

"What was his name again?" Celeste asked.

"Sam." She replied. Celeste looked at his features more, noticing his gentle smile, strong hands, relaxed figure.

"His hair is really shaggy," She grinned. "It reminds me of a dog." Sookie took her phone and closed it.

"You have no idea." She laughed in response. "He's a like a dog in some ways: gentle, protective, attentative. And he's always there when you need him. But at the end of the day, he is still a man."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Celeste leaned against the table. _I've got her now._ Sookie inwardly grinned.

"Men have needs, to put it simply. Sam, he can be your friend one minute, then something completely different the next. I'm not saying he is a player or anything. But he can be what you need him to be when you need it: a friend, shrink, stranger, even lover. I think that's the most appealing thing about him. He's so versatile, flexible. Sam always knows just the right thing to say and when to say it." Sookie had to keep from laughing as she spoke about her boss. She was practically lying through her teeth about Sam: the Sam she knew wasn't any of those things, aside from the dog part.

"He sounds interesting."

"He is, more than you know. Sam is a very kind and caring man, the kind you would expect to be married and have kids and live in a wonderful house like in those Hollywood movies or som-"

"He's no married?" Celeste interjected.

"Nope, no kids either. Doesn't even have a girlfriend. Sam hasn't had that many relationships and isn't hasty to get into one, but he is always ready and willing to. With most guys now-a-days it's 'sleep with you first then get to know you later', kinda like my brother Jason. But Sam likes to take it slow, call him 'old-fashioned'."

"From what you're telling me, he sounds like a nice guy, so why hasn't he settled down or anything now?" Celeste asked out of pure curiosity. Sookie pretended to think for a moment.

"Probably because he's been hurt so much in the past. I mean there is only so much pain and suffering a person can take, and Sam had endured a lot more than most. It's only natural that he would be cautious and hesitant about entering a new relationship. He's afraid of getting hurt: Sam's only protecting himself."

"That's understandable I guess." Celeste slumped back into the seat, her eye lids feeling suddenly heavy with fatigue. "Do you know how much longer until we land?" Sookie looked at her phone.

"About five more hours I think."

"Okay." Celeste yawned. "I'm gonna go to the back and get some shut eye, since it's pretty obvious I'm gonna be stuck here." Celeste stood up and stretched out her limbs gingerly, giving Sookie a lazy solute before going to the back and grabbing a blanket and pillow from the holders above her head and making a bed out of two seats, fluffing the pillow before lying down and pulling the blanket over her. Sookie looked over her shoulder at Celeste, only seeing her dangling bare feet over the edge with the black pumps right below them. She turned back around and adjusted in her seat.

"Job well done, Sookie. Job well done." She grinned as she grabbed the bottle of wine and poured herself a glass.

* * *

When Eric woke up he could clearly hear Celestes' and Sookies' voice. The plane had landed and he could feel the Anubis coffin transport moving; when it stopped he diligently got out of it, fixing his grey suit jacket and slicking his hair back on the sides. He looked at the plane, noticing the women had not stepped out yet, he used this moment to gather his thoughts. When he told Bill at Hotel Camilla that Celeste did not remember him, and later found out that she did not remembering anything, not even Bon Temps, Bill pulled him to the side:

"What do you plan on doing with her Eric?" Bill asked.

"I have yet to figure that out."

"I know that you and Celeste were very close, but this? Do you really think you should be doing this to a woman that apparently thinks she does not know you or any of us for that matter?"

"I must try Bill." Eric pressed, imagining the Celeste he knew before they left to Las Vegas. "Celeste and I have some unfinished business."

"And what would that be?" Bill was not following him.

"None of which concerns you."

"Eric, may I suggest that if you are going to . . .court Celeste, so that you may finish the matter you have started with her, that you be gentle and attentative to her needs. She is not going to run into your arms if you are brutish and uncaring."

"Your counsel is not needed. If I seek it, then I shall ask."

Eric pulled on the sleeves of his suit jacket and thought about what Bill said. Yes, what he said was true, but it came from Bill Compton. Besides, Eric was going to handle the situation the way he wanted to, no matter what anyone said. As he approached the steps up to the jet Celeste and Sookie started to exit, a small smile on both of their faces. Eric gave Celeste a very slow once over, his eyes glazing over with lust almost immediately. He licked his bottom lip as she steeped down, her eyes finally catching his.

"See. I told you that dress suits you." He grinned.

"For your taste maybe." She retorted.

"Of course. You're only going to be wearing want I want you to." Eric smirked.

"What?" Celeste shot him a glare that made his skin crawl in the best way possible. "I don't think."

"Well you don't have any of your own clothes, so that means we are going to have to get you some. And I'll buy what I want you to wear."

"That's not fair!" She yelled, balling her hands into fists at her side and stomping her foot on the ground. To Eric she looked like a little girl throwing a temper tantrum, and quickly covered his mouth to keep from licking his lips, imagining her in a school girl costume with her long hair in two pigtails. "You took me by force so I couldn't get anything. You kidnapped me you son-of-a-bitch!"

"Call it what you like, kidnapping, abduction-it makes no difference to me. Just know that you are here now, and you're not going anywhere." Eric gave her a very slow once over again, his eyes stopping momentarily at the spot between her thighs he couldn't wait to be emerged in. He shoved his hands in his pocket and headed for the limo that sat a few yards away, the driver already holding the door open. A few moments later Bill emerged and went over to Sookie, taking her hand in his. Bill bent down to her ear, Celeste slightly flinched at the sudden movement.

"Don't worry about Eric." He whispered. "He is this way with everyone." Bill stood back up and gave her a reassuring smile. She didn't know why, but even though she was technically kidnapped, she didn't feel like it. A part of her, a far off distant part felt like she knew them-and that made her curious. Even though she hated to admit it, she felt comfortable around them, especially Bill-not that she had any attraction towards him. She returned his smile with one of her own and proceeded to the limo, but abruptly stopped when she noticed Eric stopped moving. He looked over his shoulder then back to the direction in front of him. Celeste looked past him and saw, on the other side of the platform where a large open gate was, stood a man. She stepped closer to get a better look at him and suddenly recognized the stranger.

"Sam?" She asked as if she knew him. Sam walked over to them, stepping around the limo but was stopped by Eric's hand pressed against his chest, keeping him from moving towards Celeste.

"Shifter. What are you doing here?" He asked with as much composure as possible.

"I let you take her away from me once Eric, I'm not gonna let it happen again." Sam retorted.

"It seems you have no choice." Eric moved his face closer to Sams', so that no other could hear. "Press me in this matter, and you will lose." Sam shot him a glare out of the corner of his eye and pushed his hand away, not speaking another word. He approached Celeste again, glancing at Sookie from the corner of his eye, who gave him an approving nod with a matching grin.

As Sam moved closer she noticed he was carrying a bouquet of flowers. He stopped in front of her and held up the flowers. "I remember you telling me tulips were your favorite." He said nervously as he handed them to her. Celeste hesitantly took them, looking at Eric who stood far away from them, then at the flowers. The plastic and colorful paper crackled and crunched under her fingers as she smelt them. It was a very nice bouquet with white, yellow, orange, pink, and red tulips. The corner of her lips curled into a smile.

"Thank you." She replied. "They're beautiful." There was something oddly familiar about Sam, something she was interested about and found it hard to resist. His boyish features, fit body, shaggy hair, and charismatic smile made her feel a little warm inside for some reason. It was a good feeling, something different and unique. Sam ran his fingers through his hair and constantly looked from the ground just to meet her eyes then divert back to the ground. "You look different, in person." Celeste said, comparing the real him to the picture Sookie showed her.

"You haven't changed at all. You look amazing." Sam gave her a slow once over. Not the one she was used to by Eric, his predatory gaze taking in every part of her like he was going to devour her in one bite, Sam's was different; when he looked at her Celeste felt as if he were admiring her, appreciating her in a way.

"Thank you. So, what are you doing here?" She asked. Sam glanced over at Sookie. Her eyes were suddenly large with fear and she shook her head 'no' lightly. He gave her a peculiar look then decided to not mention her.

"Well, word got around fast that you were comin'. I guess I decided I wanted to see you before anyone else did, I know you're gonna be real busy once you see everyone again." He smiled. Celeste wasn't sure of what he was talking about, but decided to play it off.

"Yeah, I guess. But it's really kind of you to come here Sam, I really appreciate it."

"No problem Cici." Celeste's face immediately lit up, she hid a laugh with her hand.

"You even know my nickname?"

"Of course. Besides, you always said you preferred it if you were called that."

"Yeah," Celeste nodded her head. "Yeah I guess I did."

"It's time to go." Eric barked in front of them, the anger hardly hidden in his voice. Bill and Sookie made their way to the car, while Sam and Celeste stayed where they were.

"You know I can take you home, if you'd like." Sam suggested, pushing his hands into his back pockets. Celeste looked down at the flowers, cradled in her arm, then at Sam.

"Home? I don't even know where home is. I'd think it'd be best if I just left with them Sam."

"I understand Cici. You just got back, you need to get settled and all that. Just . . .just give me a call or something if you need anything."

"But I don't have you're number."

"Stop my Merlottes then. You still know where that is don't you?" He grinned. Suddenly, in image of a bar entered her mind, one with a flashing green neon sign at night. Celeste knew it was Merlottes, the sign said it, and it gave off a familiar vibe, that she seemed to be getting a lot of recently.

"Yeah. Yeah I still know." She smiled.

"Good." Sam nodded his head in approval. "Drop by soon, because um . . .I really want to, well I really just want to see you again." He gave her another smile then turned on the heel of boot and exited the platform, glancing back at Celeste every now and then before disappearing into his truck and driving off. Celeste smelt the flowers again and clutched the close to her chest.

Celeste went to the limo and quickly entered, a small grin plastered on her face. It wasn't until she entered that she noticed Eric was already inside. Celeste sat at the end of the limo, while Eric sat on the middle cushion, and Bill and Sookie sat together on the other end of the limo, directly across from Celeste. The door shut behind her and soon the limo rod off. There was momentary silence, nobody sure of what to say.

"Those are beautiful flowers Celeste." Sookie broke the silence. "What are they again?"

"Tulips," She grazed her finger across the petal of one of the yellow flowers. "My favorite."

"Isn't that just sweet Bill?" Sookie grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "It's her first day back and already people are giving her beautiful gifts." She grinned.

"You know what Sookie, I think I'm going to like Bon Temps a little." She smiled, smelling the flowers again. "Who knows, it just might grow on me." Celeste glanced at Sookie over the flowers, Sookie replied with a small wink and smile. Unexpectedly, the bouquet of colorful tulips were ripped from her hands and a fraction of a second later they were exploding in the air. Before Celeste could react she saw the wrapping on the floor and the flowers turned into confetti as they trickled down from the air, scattering across the floor like colorful ripped pieces of paper. Water glazed over her eyes, her lips curled into a snarl, her jaw clenched; her gaze went from the destroyed bouquet to Eric, who sat back gingerly and clenched and unclenched his fist.

"You monster!" Celeste pounced on him and pounded on her chest, hitting his face every now and then. Eric caught her hands easily and threw her back onto the couch, not roughly, but just enough to make her hit her back against the seat with some force. "You son-of-a-bitch. Why would you do that? Those were mine! Mine!"

Eric looked from the obliterated bouquet to Celeste. "They smelt horrible." He replied with a completely stoic expression.


	18. Chap 17: Motives

A/N: Okay, in my version of the story, the bombing that happened at Godrics obviously happened, however Jason Stackhouse returned to Bon Temps before Eric found Celeste. So this will all make sense once you read it. So thanks and please review if you want more! -K

**Chapter 17: Motives**

Sam pulled into Merlottes. He put the car in park and shut it off; unbuckling his seatbelt he dropped his seat back as far as it could go so he could lay back for a moment, sitting in the darkness with just the soundtrack of the night as his music. After seeing Celeste, his heart wouldn't stop pounding, and his face felt hot. He envisioned her, remembering what she wore, how her long wavy hair fell down her body, how her eyes sparkled and lips turned into a smile when he gave her the tulips. It would have been the perfect reunion if others weren't around, but for Sam, it was better than nothing. But even in that great moment, he couldn't shake the feeling of Eric. The entire time he could feel Eric's eyes burning holes in his skull. Sam knew the vampire was possessive, from seeing it and from hearing it from Sookie, but this was on a completely different level. He should have suspected it, that Eric would want Celeste completely to himself. So what Sam could get from the evenings events, from Celestes' sudden reappearance, things were about to get very complicated.

When his thoughts became overwhelming, he decided to go inside, debating whether or not to tell his employee's where he had been. He entered the bar and was almost immediately bombarded by people, for some odd reason Merlottes was packed, and it was only the beginning of the week.

"Where the fuck have you been Sam?" Tara hollered from behind the bar, filling some shot glasses with a clear liquid. "We're dying in here!"

"I'm sorry Tara, not now." He waved her off and went to the back. Sam heard her say "hell naw" as he passed and soon heard her coming up behind him at a very brisk pace. Sam ignored her yelling as he entered the kitchen, suddenly feeling famished. Sam told Lafayette to make him something very quick and leaned against the counter.

"Sam, I need you out there with me! Sookie isn't coming in, Arlene is acting like a bitch because she's on her fucking period, and you know she messes shit up when it's that time of the month, people are complaining to me and I don't want to hear what the fuck they gotta say because I ain't no damn waitress!"

"Tara will you stop yellin'." Terry said over his shoulder as he cut up some potatoes into fries.

"Shut the fuck up Terry. I ain't got nothing to say to you!" She barked.

"Tara, shut yo fuckin' trap, damn given me headaches. Maken' me see a whole bunch a stars and shit like in those damn cartoons." Lafayette said while flipping a few patties and throwing a little seasoning on each.

"Well excuse me if I just to happen to be a little fuckin' stressed, because people ain't here and the people that are here can't do their fucking job right!" The entire kitchen broke out into an argument, Lafayette and Terry defending themselves from the overly worked women who couldn't help but let out her anger and frustration on the closest person. Sam let them whine and bicker for a moment, before letting out a deep breath and telling them all to shut up in a very loud voice that caught the attention of the entire bar.

"Sam where the fuck were you?" Tara asked again, as close to calm as she would get for the rest of the evening. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the three of them. He dropped his head and shook it lightly, while tapping his foot on the ground, something he did when he was debating whether or not to do something.

"I went to the airport."

"For what?" Terry asked, putting down the cutting knife and leaning against the counter filled with chopped up potatoes. There was silence for a moment, then he looked at the three of them.

"What the hell," He threw his hands up in the air. "I went to go see Celeste." Quiet filled the kitchen, the only noise coming from the clamor in the bar and booths. Lafayette looked at his cousin, his brows pulled together, then at Terry, who seemed to stop breathing.

"What do you mean you went to go see her? She dead Sam." Lafayette said.

"Apparently not. Eric Northman found her while he was in Dallas; he brought her back. That's why I was at the airport."

"And how the fuck did you know this?" Lafayette started to raise his voice, ignoring the burning patties as he turned around from the grill to face him. Sam hesitated before he spoke.

"Sookie told me, last night."

"Sookie's known and she didn't say anything to any of us?" Tara yelled.

"Evidently no one was suppose to know."

"And why's the fuck not?" Lafayette took a step towards Sam. "Celeste wasn't just your friend Sam, she was ours too. Not only did Sookie not tell us, but you knew about it and didn't tell us either? I should shove this fucking spatula up your ass."

"He's right." Terry pitched in. "Y-y-you knew before any of us, and didn't say anything. I am surprised that Sookie didn't tell anyone, but you Sam? T-that's just not cool."

"Well I'm sorry okay." Sam got on the defensive. "I wasn't sure of what to do, I was just as shocked as you all are when I found out." The entire place suddenly got quite, aside from the sound of boots against hardwood floor. Andy came up to the counter, peering over so that he could see everyone. Jason Stackhouse stood a few feet behind him, listening.

"You guys have news about Celeste?" He asked with a hopeful expression.

"Yeah," Lafayette chipped in. "Supposedly, Eric-fucking-Northman found her in Dallas not to long ago, and brought her back tonight." He looked at Andy. "And Sam just got back from seeing her at the airport." He said with a sarcastic grin.

"Wha? Celeste is back?" Jason asked with a perplexed expression, stepping up to the counter.

"Wait now, hold on a second. Who is Eric Northman." Andy asked.

"That fucking vampire from Shreveport, the one that owns that vampire club Fangtasia." Tara interjected.

"Eric found her? Holy shit. Where are they now?" Jason asked.

"Probably at Fangtasia." Lafayette replied.

"So she ain't dead?" Jason was astonished. For a year everyone had said Celeste Monroe was dead, and that made him a little sad since all he did was have a make-out session with her.

"Mutherfu-. Jason if you don't get the hell up outta here I'm gonna shove my foot up yo gaddamn ass!"

"Hey, she was my friend too Lafayette." He pointed at all of them with a scrutinizing grin behind the counter. Sam dropped his head in his hands as they continued to bicker and fight amongst themselves, arguing over who really was Celeste's friends. In the back of his mind he silently hoped that she would not come to the bar, thinking that this is what she would be welcomed to.

* * *

"Get your disgusting hands off me!" Celeste yelled as Eric dragged her into Fangtasia. She was overwhelmed when they suddenly burst in, seeing vampires more than ever before. However, she did not have much time to pay attention to any when she was abruptly pulled into a room. The door closed behind her. She looked around the room and noticed that she was in an office, a desk directly in front of her with a black leather couch to the right of it, among other things. Eric walked around her and sat down at his desk, opening the laptop in the center.

"Where am I?" Celeste asked, scanning the room.

"In my office." Eric replied, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen. Celeste went to the desk and leaned forward against it, directly in front of him.

"That is not what I meant you asshole! What is this place? A vampire feeding ground? A stripper club? Please, amuse me."

"You will not speak to me with disrespect." He said nonchalantly.

"I will talk to you," Celeste swiped her arm across his desk, causing his laptop to crash to the floor along with papers and a container filled with pencils and pens. "How ever the fuck I want, you leech." She barked. It was not until then that Eric looked up at her, anger lightly glistening in his eyes. In spite of this, Celeste was momentarily set back when she saw his eyes wander downward. She looked down and saw that his eyes were fixed on her breasts, which were nearly pouring out from the dress in the position she was in. She immediately stood up and turned around, adjusting the top of her dress.

"Don't bother," He said, pulling open a drawer and grabbed something. "it's nothing I haven't seen before." She could hear his smirk as he spoke.

"You son-of-a-bi-" She was abruptly cut off when she was turned around then turned back around again. It happened so fast that Celeste was a little off balance and tried to steady herself, only to notice that she couldn't. Her hands were behind her back, and a cold metal pressed against her wrists. "W-wh-what the hell?" She tried to pull her hands around her side, and saw a hint of the metal. "You handcuffed me?" She yelled at the smirking vampire (a/n: the handcuffs are made out of titanium, not silver). Eric put his hands in his pockets and looked at her. "You fucker. Get me out of these now!" She twisted her wrists and pulled her hands apart out of instinct, thinking she was superman or something.

"I prefer you in them."

"Eric, let me out, or I'm gonna-"

"What?" Eric pressed her against the desk. "What are you going to do Celeste?" He searched her eyes.

"Don't say my name." She hissed.

"Celeste, what are you going to do?" He teased.

"Stop it. You don't know me." In one swift movement Eric picked her up and set her on the desk, laying her back against the desk. He stepped between her legs, watching the tempting dress scrunch around her thighs. Celeste tried to move, but the handcuffs made her completely immobile. Eric leaned over her, moving his hands to the back of her thighs, so that they were perched on his hip, and pulled her to the edge of the desk.

"What the hell are you doing?" Her eyes narrowed at him. Eric grabbed her by the waist, and carefully pulled her closer to him. With that one movement, Celeste's eyes widened at the feel of his pulsating erection against her core. A lump formed in her throat that was difficult to swallow past, and she could help but look at what pressed against her.

"You feel that?" Eric asked, pressing against her harder to accent his point. Celeste gasped at the influx of pressure and looked at him. "You are going to become very familiar with 'that' if you continue to step out of bounds."

"Oh my God." Celeste whimpered. She could feel, just from that contact, that he was not "average" in any way. shape or form. She hated to admit it, but he was starting a fire in her that would not go out any time soon. It didn't help that she had not done anything for a while. Her family kept her very sheltered, which meant no sex, alcohol, parties, cigarettes, or guy friends staying the night (even if they had a good reason). Not only that, something was pulling her toward Eric. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't entirely like it, but she could feel his lust, mixed with anger. And as Eric pressed against her again, receiving another whimper from her lips, Celeste could feel his emotions washing over her like a waterfall, pounding away at her. Her hands fidgeted behind her back, which arched from the awkward position, as a result rubbing against Eric's intense erection. He growled at the sudden movement, and without hesitation he captured her lips in his, pressing his body against hers. Celeste moaned as his tongue penetrated her mouth, her hands fidgeting even more, wanting to run her fingers through his hair and pull him closer. Their tongues battled for supremacy, but as always, to Erics' memory, Celeste gave in to his dominance.

One of Eric's hands weaved it's way into Celestes dark, long, wavy locks of hair that he missed so much, while the other slide down her side, scrunching the dress around her waist so he could move closer. She pulled, away, gasping for air while Eric continued his fiery kisses down her neck, leaving a trail all the way to the part in her breasts. He stood up and grabbed the part of the dress where her breasts were, and in one swift move ripped it down the middle. Celeste shrieked at the sudden movement, cold air hitting her skin. "Why'd you rip it?" She gasped, feeling suddenly exposed. Eric pulled it off of her, seeing that she was only in panties (which was a good thing since the dress already had a bra inside it, which meant Celeste wouldn't have to wear a separate one when she wore the dress.) He picked her up and went to the leather couch, setting her on his lap so that he legs were on either side of his thighs.

"I hated that dress." He attacked her breasts, taking one of her nipples into his mouth while massaging the other. He placed one hand around her ass, securing her against him.

"Then why did you buy it?" Celeste gasped, throwing her head back. She slowly rocked back and forth against Eric, his erection directly beneath her core. She had no idea what was coming over her, all she knew is that she wanted, needed the vampire that she hated so much, but felt strangely connected to. He groaned at the friction, his fangs emerging and grazing her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

"So I could tear it off." He clamped his mouth around the other nipple, however, making sure not to draw blood, while his other hand moved down her side. His forefinger traced the elastic of her pants, pulling it from her skin then snapping it back in place. Abruptly, the door opened and in entered Pam. Celeste shot a look in her direction and tried to push away from Eric with her legs, however, he was very insistent on finishing what he started. He looked at his child, keeping Celeste in place at the same time.

"Get out Pam." He warned.

"Celeste." The vampire smiled. She stepped over to the desk and leaned against it. "It's so nice to see you again. I can see you are getting yourself . . .reacquainted with my master." Pam looked at the mess on the floor then the torn dress. "More quickly than I thought." She added.

"Leave us, now." Eric demanded.

"There is something that requires your attention at the front Eric."

"It can wait." Eric traced the elastic of Celeste's panties again, ready to continue.

"Sookie is here." Pam finalized. "She is waiting at the bar." Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Celeste pushed away from Eric with her legs again, this time he let her. She lifted one leg from over him then the other, so that she was setting next to him in an awkward position. Her heart pounded in her chest and in that instant, she absolutely hated herself. She was a part of the Fellowship of the Sun, and in the heat of the moment Celeste remembered that; she knew that Rev. Newlin would have nearly killed her for that. Celeste Abigail Monroe was no fangbanger, and had no intention of becoming one. Eric removed himself from her reluctantly and adjusted his clothes.

"Mmm. I can see why you like her so much Eric." Pam grinned as she looked at Celeste, seeing her completely naked aside from the panties. "I knew I always liked her for some reason." She teased. Celeste turned her back on them as much as she could, trying to hide her exposed body.

"Did you get what I asked you to?" Eric asked.

"Yes. It's in the back." Pam kept her eyes on Celeste.

"Good. Get her dressed."

"But I much prefer her this way." Eric grabbed Pam's arm roughly, demanding her attention.

"Get. Her. Dressed." He said sternly. Pam ripped her arm away.

"Fine. Keep her all to yourself." She looked at Celeste and smiled. "I'll be right back honey. What do you want me to do with the handcuffs?" Eric looked at Celeste from the corner of his eye then at Pam.

"Keep them on her."

* * *

Sookie drummed her fingers on the bar as she waited for Eric. She knew once Bill and herself left the limo that they started fighting, because Celeste wasn't the kind of person to just let things go unless she really tried to. Not to mention, she was curious as to how Eric would react to his new competition: Sam Merlotte. She didn't have to wait long when he emerged from his office and went to her, followed by Pam who had a strange grin plastered to her face. Eric stood before her with much composure.

"Sookie. What brings me the pleasure of your presence so soon?"

"Can we talk?" Sookie stood up.

"We are talking now."

"In your office?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. She notice him look over his shoulder slightly then smirk.

"My office is being used at the moment. But you are more than welcome to go downstairs with me."

"Who's using your office?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"That is not important." He walked around Sookie and headed downstairs, she reluctantly followed him. He closed the door behind her and they went not further than the first few steps. "So what is it?"

"Where is Celeste?" She got strait to the point.

"Sleeping." He lied.

"Really, with you here?" Sookie gawked.

"I don't take advantage of women in their sleep." Eric leaned back against the door. "What do you really want to talk about Sookie?"

"I want to know what you plan on doing with her."

"That does not concern you."

"Yes it does."

"How so?" He challenged. Sookie was dumbfounded for a moment. She couldn't just say she wanted to keep him to herself, or keep his interest, even though she knew he could probably sense it from her emotions.

"Sam is interested in her, Eric." She said, needing to broach the subject anyway.

"So he is. But that still does not answer my question." He tapped his foot on the ground. Sookie was growing impatient.

"I care about Sam's happiness, Eric. And if Celeste is what makes him happy then I want them to be together, not her being used and wasted by you."

"This isn't about Sam at all." Eric said. "This isn't even about Celeste. This is about you and me." He took a step closer to her. "So what are you really doing here Sookie Stackhouse."

"Don't flatter yourself Eric. There is nothing between us." Sookie held her ground.

"You are a horrible liar." He continued stepping closer to her. As Eric drew nearer, Sookie backed up, her backside against the wall. Eric hovered over her, like the predator that he was, and placed both hands on either side of her head. "Tell me you don't regret rejecting all those opportunities we had to fuck each other. Because in the end, that's what this is really about."

"I don't regret it. I love Bill." Sookie replied.

"But here you are, in this dark room with me. So what lie did you have to tell him to come here this time?" He challenged again. When Sookie didn't reply all he could do was smirk at the woman. "I know what you want Sookie." He pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "Your emotions say it, and your body screams it. Does Bill not satisfy you anymore? Do you want to try someone new . . .more experienced?"

"I am not talking about this with you." She hissed.

"You're right, actions speak louder than words." He grinned. "Maybe we should just start having sex."

"You know if you weren't such an ass, then maybe I would have sex with you."

"But remember dear Sookie, you once told me that my ass is the best part of my anatomy. Do you want to give it a squeeze? Just like last time?" Sookie pushed him away, Eric willingly moved aside and watched her leave the basement in a fuss, but her emotions could never escape him, nor could the scent of her body. He could smell that she was ready for him, then and there, and he could sense that she wanted him, more now than ever.


	19. Chap 18: Dawn

**A/N: ** Hello my Readers! First and foremost i am soo soo very sorry for the delay, i have had serious writers block and couldn't find the inspiration for this chapter for some reason. So I know this is not going to be my best. Secondly, I have a poll (don't know if you know about it or if you even voted on it) that is helping me decide what my next FanFic should be based on. Right now it is pretty equal between all of the topics. **So please please please vote on the poll and please please please review if you enjoyed this chapter.** Thanks

**Chapter 18: Dawn**

_Give me one more chance to be the one to love you_

_Give me one more chance to prove you wrong_

_Give me one more chance to say I'm sorry for the pain_

_I know I was a fool for letting you go_

_But I will be a better man_

_Just give me one more chance to be the one_

Celeste had no idea how Sookie did it. After a few days of being trapped in Fangtasia, Eric constantly pocking and probing at her-trying to get into her pants (however, after the incident when they arrived she was sure not to repeat it again), she was more than happy to leave. Sookie came by ,obviously during the day, when one of the human employees was in, and easily took the stressed girl away from the vampire bar. However, a part of Celeste was weary of Sookie and her intentions. She didn't really like the telepath, and was constantly questioning her. At times Sookie was a cold-hearted bitch to her, and other times sweeter than iced tea on a scorching day. As she sat in the car, Celeste couldn't help but notice what she was wearing. A skin-tight white shirt with a green oval on the left side just above her breast with _Merlotte's _written in white, and black shorts.

"You work at Merlotte's?" Celeste leaned toward her to get a better look at the writing.

"Yeah," Sookie smiled. "I already told you this, Celeste."

"Oh. Right." Celeste leaned back in the seat, feeling embarrassed and stupid for her forgetfulness. They sat in silence, neither feeling the need to talk, rather, Celeste didn't feel the need. When she looked at what Sookie was wearing, then at her own attire, she felt like a tramp to say the least. Eric bought her a variety of clothes that she would never be caught in. Most of them were skin-tight, revealing, clothes that hardly covered her most private female parts-in particular her breasts. What she wore at the moment was a black mini-skirt that hugged her hips and flared out around her mid-thigh, translucent white stockings with a few inches of lace at the top that grazed the hem of the skirt, a one-size-to-small white tank top that hugged her skin like an anaconda constricting around its prey, squeezing the life out of it, and black and white checkered Daly stiletto pumps to tops it all off. Her naturally long wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her breasts, covering the protruding masses better than any jacket. Celeste hated the fact that out of everything, what she wore was the only "suitable" outfit that could be conjured from the mass of lingerie and bikini like outfits.

She squeezed her thighs together, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable. She felt naked even though she had clothes, if that's what they could be called, on. Sookie could sense how uncomfortable Celeste was, but paid no mind to it. As far as Celeste was concerned, the more uncomfortable she felt, the better. Maybe then she might leave Eric if she knew what was good for her. In the back of her mind, Sookie was upset that Eric would pick out such things, but then again it was Eric, and he did like having easy access to his women whenever he wanted, but she also knew that the sight of Celeste in that outfit would probably give Sam a heart attack or a hard-on, which ever came first (she hoped the second one though).

"So," Sookie broke the silence, deciding it was time she got some questions answered. "how is living with Eric?" She looked at her for a few seconds then back at the road. Celeste rubbed her bare arms, her hands somewhat shaking.

"You don't want to know." She replied honestly. Sookie didn't want to know. Eric tried to take advantage of her every chance he got, whether it was setting her on his lap, trying to get his hands up her skirt or whatever she was wearing, or just dragging her away to another room-which he was never able to do, because something always required his attention or Pam interrupted, this irritated him to the point of insanity.

"Well it can't be that bad, sure Eric's a slime ball and everything, but even he has boundaries."

"If he does than I haven't seen them." Celeste grimaced.

"Besides, he has Pam to keep him in check right?" Sookie continued to pry.

"I would hardly call it that. Either she's advocating him on or trying to get me alone. Anyway, with both of them there there's no way I'm gonna survive without being raped." Sookie laughed at the comment, which caught her off guard, because Celeste was completely serious. There was no way possible that she was going to survive staying at Fangtasia with both of the most horny vampires she had ever seen breathing down her neck. "You find that amusing?" Her eyes narrowed at the telepath. Sookie slowly stopped laughing and looked at Celeste.

"It's just odd that you say that, since you have your field and all." She looked back at the road, a smile plastered to her face with small giggles emerging every now and then.

"My what?" Celeste shifted her body in Sookie's direction so that her back leaned against the side door and her knees pointed to the drivers seat. Sookie stopped laughing and looked at her from the corner of her eye.

"Your field Celeste? The one you put up to keep Eric away from you?" Sookie rolled her eyes and kept her gaze on the road.

"What field?" Celeste was becoming annoyed, and it showed when her voice went slightly higher. "What the hell are you talking about?" The car began to slow down, not deliberately, but because Sookie was confused and in deep thought. Celeste may have lost her memory, but did that mean she also lost her ability. She doubted it, because she tried to read her mind countless times, but she never got anything.

"Has Eric ever been unable to touch you?" She decided to change the wording of it so that Celeste could understand. Celeste looked at her quizzically, her eyes narrowed, brows pulled together. "I mean," Sookie began again. "has he ever tried to touch but couldn't? Like he was physically unable to?" She wasn't able to word it right to make Celeste understand the question. "Do you know what I mean?" She asked finally, her fingers curing around the steering wheel tighter. Celeste nodded her head slowly as she thought.

"Yeah . . ." She managed to drag out, and like a truck slamming into her, the light bulb lit up in her head. "Yeah!" She gave Sookie her full attention. "There was one time when he took me to his bedroom and tried to . . .well he tried stuff. And he threw me on the bed and he tried to get on top of me," Sookie tried not to imagine the disgusting scene-also trying to restrain herself from jumping over the seat and chocking Celeste. "but he couldn't." Celeste said. "It was like he was just hovering over me. Like an invisible sheet came out of no where." Celeste smiled at the memory. "And when he banged against it, he just flung back. It was the most surreal thing I have ever seen." She laughed. "The look on his face was so priceless."

"How long ago was this?" Sookie asked through slightly gritted teeth.

"A few days after we got here."

"Has it happened since then?"

"Nah," Celeste waved a hand in the air nonchalantly. "but Eric has been more careful now that I think about it. Actually, he hasn't messed with me as much since then, neither has Pam for that matter."

"Oh really." Sookie said with a little more interest than she liked. "So, are you happy about seeing Sam?" She quickly changed the subject.

"We're going to Merlotte's? I thought you were just gonna take me into town or something."

"Well, Merlotte's is in town, so I'll take you there first then show you around once I get off. Besides, I'm sure everyone is going to be more than happy to see you, so you'll have plenty of time to play catch-up with your friends." Sookie smiled.

"Friends?"

"Yeah." Sookie looked at her. "Lafayette. Tara. Terry. Lucy even, if we stop by Harry's and see if she's working today. And pretty much the rest of the town." Celeste didn't even try to understand what she was talking about. She had no idea who Sookie was talking about. Who was Lafayette? Who was Tara? Who was Terry? And the rest of the town? She had no idea what to expect or if the idea of even going with her was a good one anymore. But ever since she arrived to Louisiana everything started to feel familiar. She started to wonder if what Sookie, Eric, and Bill were saying was true. Did she loose her memory? And if so, how did it happen? But most importantly, did she want to remember what she lost? Celeste shook her head, trying not to think about it

_Come on Celeste, you couldn't have lost your memory. You have a sister, a loving mother and father, and a great life . . .in Dallas. You didn't loose your memory, you couldn't have. These Louisiana people are just crazy that's all._

"I have a sister you know." Celeste started. She thought it was about time to convince people that they kidnapped the wrong girl. "Her names Christina, she's twenty-one."

"You never told me you had any siblings." Sookie looked at her quizzically.

"That's because you never asked." There was silence. "I'm also a member of the Fellowship of the Sun."

"Really." Sookie choked out the word. Celeste could see that mentioning it made her uncomfortable. She tried to think of more things to tell her, that would make her even more uneasy.

"A few months ago I captured my first vampire, definitely an experience with Rev. Newlin's help. And, before you guys arrived in Dallas, I was suppose to direct the Holy Bonfire-"

"You were suppose to do that?" Sookie yelled.

"Yeah." Celeste hid her grin. "I never met the vampire we captured, but he was supposed to die that day. Then it was a change of plans when Eric arrived, because then it was supposed to be him. Right now I wish it was him."

"How can you do that? Be so mean and hateful towards vampires . . .this is not like you, Celeste." Sookie said with concern.

"How do you know what's like me, Sookie?" Celeste's voice rose. "You don't even know me. You have no idea what my life is like, what I've done, what I've seen, or anything."

"A year ago you were-"

"A year ago I nearly died, Sookie."

"W-what?" The car came to a near stop. "What do you mean you nearly died?"

"My family and I were at a rodeo in central Dallas. It ran later than usual and it was dark out. My family went ahead of me to the car so I could get some last minute autographs from the cowboy's. By the time I left the stadium most of the cars were gone, and that's when I was nearly beaten to death. I went to the hospital with internal bleeding, broken and fractured ribs, dislocated shoulder, brain hemorrhaging, my humerus bone protruding from my right arm, and a stab wound to my stomach." Celeste lifted up her shirt, her perfectly flat and toned stomach showing, with only one imperfection: a scar, about three inches long, located under her left rib cage, right where her descending colon was located. Sookie let in a deep breath, the car coming to a complete stop. "I spent four months in recovery." Celeste said. She pulled her shirt down and adjusted in her seat. "You don't know me Sookie Stackhouse. So don't pretend that you do."

"Do you know who did it?" Sookie asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah, some son-of-a-bitch named Margo. Said it was payback for what I did. Unfortunately the police never caught the fucker."

* * *

Sam leaned against the bar, not sure of what to do. There wasn't much that required his attention, and it was only the afternoon so business was slow. All he could think about was Celeste and how a few days had passed since his invitation for her to visit the bar . . .him. After he told everyone that she was back, minor quarrels started and confusion was stitched in the air. Andy had gone to Fangtasia, a long with a few others, during the day to see if she was there, but came back empty handed. Sam told them it was a bad idea for them to go there, he knew Eric would not let Celeste wander so freely. However, amongst the newly informed public, Lafayette, Tara, and Terry calmed down fairly quickly. They were a few of the close friends Celeste had, and saw them on a regular basis in the past, but he feared that her absence might have built a wedge between the four people.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sookie entered the bar; he was surprised to see her back so soon, since whenever she asked for a break she would be back for a few hours. Sam could tell her breathing was heavy and that she was somewhat nervous, her eyes fixed on him like some kind of bull chasing after a red cape. She went around the bar next to him.

"We need to talk." Her accent punctuating her urgency.

"Okay." He nodded. She led him into to kitchen. "This isn't really private Sookie." Sam said, looking at Lafayette and Terry.

"Where is Tara?" Sookie asked.

"In the back." Lafayette said over his shoulder, plating a club sandwich.

"Terry, can you go get her please. All of you need to hear this." Terry jostled around for a moment, not sure of whether to continue what he was doing, which was shaping hamburger patties, or to go do what she said. When Sam tipped his head in Tara's direction, he went to go get her. They were back seconds later, Tara in a sour mode for some odd reason.

"What's this about?" Tara leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"It's about Celeste." Lafayette immediately stopped and turned around to face her. Sookie could tell by the looks on their faces that it was s tense situation. The mere mention of her name made them go stiff with anticipation. "Celeste is-"

"If your trying to tell us she's back, we know already." Terry interjected.

"Sam told us." Tara added.

"He also told us that she is at Fangtasia with Eric Northman. That true?" Lafayette put his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah. She's staying there with him until she gets her own place." She lied. "But that's not what I want to talk about. I brought Celeste here. She's in my car, just outside." Everyone seemed to stand more erect and looked through the windows at the front. Sookie's car was clearly visible, but no one could be seen in the inside.

"Well why doesn't she come in?" Tara asked.

"I told her to stay in the car."

"Why?" Lafayette questioned.

"Because there is something I need to tell you. All of you." Sookie looked at each other them, knowing that they were not going to like what she was about to say, and would not understand.

"Well spit it out." Sam stepped around her so that he could see her clearly, instead of standing side by side.

"I don't know how to say this, so I just am. Celeste lost her memory." At first there was a moment of silence. Lafayette crossed his arms over his chest and dropped his head down, his cousin almost doing the same thing. Terry looked at everyone, complete and utter confusion written all over his face. Sam's eyes narrowed at her, his brows pulling together as he contemplated what she said.

"What do you mean she lost her memory?" Terry asked. "Your joking right?"

"No Terry. Not at all. I would never joke about this."

"Really Sookie?" Tara took a step toward her. "Because you were the first one to find out that Celeste was alive, and you didn't tell any of us. But you told Sam, and we had to hear it from him?"

"I wasn't sure if I should tell anyone at the time."

"But it was okay to tell Sam?" Lafayette retorted, anger hinting in his voice.

"It's complicated Lafayette. When we found her she had no idea who we were." Sookie explained. "She doesn't remember me, Bill, Eric, Bon Temps, or any of you. We asked her as many questions humanly possible about what happened in the past year but she didn't remember anything about any of us."

"Then at the airport," Sam recollected. "She didn't even remember then?" Sookie dropped her head, remembering the scene.

"Now is not the times Sam. Celeste is unfamiliar with all of you, and it is your duty as her great friends-that she doesn't remember-to refamiliarize herself with ya'll. Celeste has changed a lot since last time, so don't be surprised if she gets all snappy with you."

* * *

As soon as Eric woke up he knew that Celeste was gone, and he knew exactly who did it. His natural response would be to anger and curiosity, then he would go after her and bring her back from some intense primal sex that he'd been waiting to have since he first laid eyes on her. However, Eric decided to be kind for the evening and allow Celeste to enjoy her little moment of freedom, because once she came back he was going to bring a storm of hell down on her, and he was going to enjoy every second of it.

Eric lazily got out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, before entering the shower and getting dressed. He could already hear the club filling with people and decided to go up before anything got out of control during his absence. Not much time later upon entering, Pam was in front of him.

"There is something we need to talk about." She said sternly.

"It can wait for a later time." Eric moved passed her and went to his common thrown at the front of the club and sat down. Eyes immediately moved to him and grins of seduction from fangbangers followed suit.

"This cannot wait Eric, you need to hear this." Pam insisted.

"Unless it is about finances then it's not important." Eric was starting to become annoyed.

"It's about Celeste." Eric shot a menacing glance at her. When she didn't flinch he decided to give in. They went to his office, closing the door behind them. He assumed it would be about Celeste's sudden recurrence, or the fact that he was spending so much time with her and not tending to the demanding obligations of his business. Eric sat down at his desk.

"What is this about, Pam?"

"Do you remember the night I called you while you were in Vegas? I was trying to tell you something important but you were . . .distracted, and hung up on me."

"I recall." Eric rolled his eyes; she acted like he was incapable of any sort of memory.

"Well," Pam, leaned against his desk, her expression serious and fixed. "Since Celeste went missing, I was hoping I would never have to tell you this. But since she is back, I think you should know."

Eric leaned forward in his seat, suddenly interested in what she had to tell him. It wasn't often that Pam withheld information from him, but when she did, it was usually for his sake. "Know what, Pam?"

* * *

Celeste tip her Miller Light bottle back and forth on the counter. It was late and the bar was starting to clear out, minus a few lingering bodies at the booths. She was surprised at how close and attached she became to the employees: Lafayette, Tara, and Terry. From where she sat she could see Lafayette and Terry starting to clear down the kitchen; for some odd reason a grin formed on her face and an overwhelming sensation of happiness and content came over her. She took a sip of her beer and leaned back in the seat as Tara grabbed herself one and leaned over the counter.

"So what's it feel like to be back?" Tara asked. "Is it the same as you remember?" Her expression suddenly hardened and she rolled her eyes. She could shoot herself in the foot for asking such a stupid question. She remembered what Sookie told her, about Celeste not being able to remember anything, and Tara honestly thought it was bullshit, until Celeste came inside and proved her wrong.

"Everybody keeps asking me that." Celeste wrapped both her hands around the body of her beer bottle. She made a noise with her tongue and shook her head. "But I suppose it can't be helped. I mean what if I did loose my memory? I haven't had any car accidents or any major events happen to me, maybe it's just God's way of saying, "There's something you need to forget. There's something you don't need to worry about anymore."

"That's fucked up." Tara took a gulp from her beer.

"Well it is what it is. I can't help what happened in the past, and honestly I could give a rats-ass about it. I forgot for a reason . . .so I ain't gonna try to figure out what happened." Celeste chugged down the rest of her beer, wiping the corner of her mouth as she set it down on the counter. Tara shifted her weight back and forth.

"Does that include the forgotten people that love you?" She asked boldly. Celeste dropped her head in defeat.

"I don't know." Her eyes met Tara's lazily. "Could you get me another one?"

"Sure." Tara pulled a cold one out and popped the lid before handing it to her. "I have to take care of some things in the back so I'll be back." Celeste tipped the bottle in her direction in affirmation and took a quick swig once she was out of sight. At the moment she hated Sookie Stackhouse. She couldn't believe that the person that insisted on bringing her here would bail out on taking her back to Fangtasia (not that she wanted to go back, but honestly, Celeste was in "uncharted" territory and had no where else to go.) She could picture Sookie at her house with Bill Compton there, laughing and giggling like some giddy teens that pulled a prank on an old man. A fit of anger started to boil inside of her, she was half tempted to throw the bottle on the ground just for the hell of it, but decided against it. At the thought, as if he read her mind, Sam Merlotte sat down on the seat next to her, turning his body so that he was completely facing her.

"You look like your fix'in to break something." He said.

"I just might," She looked at him then turned her body so that she was completely facing him. "but I'm in your bar, so I wont." Celeste smiled.

"I appreciate that. Last thing I want is Tara throwing another fit, because I told her to clean up the mess you made." He replied. Sam reached for the bottle in her hand and took it, stealing a few sips before giving it back. Celeste looked at the bottle and made a gagging sound. "Hey now I ain't go cooties or anything." Sam laughed.

"I'd hope so. Wouldn't want me getting sick because of you know would we?"

"If you do I'll take good care of ya."

"Beats going to a hospital." Celeste laughed. "Lord knows I've been in to many for my liking."

"It's the needles huh?" Sam teased. "You don't like Docter's sticking ya?" He pinched her bare arms playfully. Celeste gently pushed him away and hissed as she rubber her aggravated arms.

"No I don't like the needles. Look!" She flashed her arms, turning them this way and that at him. "Now I gotta a whole bunch of red marks on me because of your dumbass."

"Hey, this dumbass is letting you have drinks on the house, so you should be a little nicer to him or else he'll make you pay for all four beers you had tonight." Sam shot back, gesturing at the one in her hand. "Make that five."

"I'm sorry Mr. Merlotte. I'll be nice. I won't bad mouth you anymore." Celeste batted her lashes and turned the corner of her lips into a slight smile. Sam disregarded her expression with a small laugh.

"That's more like it." He replied. He placed his hands on her knees and slowly started rubbing them up and down her thighs. Celeste didn't mind in the slightest, on the contrary, she enjoyed it. Butterflies started to build in her stomach and her heart slowly began to pound in her chest with what felt like a giant anchor on it. Sam carefully started to lean in, but quickly stopped himself.

"It's umm, it's really late."

"Yeah." Celeste rolled her eyes.

"Sookie asked me to take you back to Shreveport, so if you wanna get your stuff, we can go." Sam stood up and wiped his suddenly sweaty hands on the front of his jeans.

"Stuff? I didn't bring anything." Celeste giggled.

"Well than we can just go." Sam grabbed his keys out of his pockets and headed toward the door, but stopped when Celeste spoke:

"Why can't I just stay with you?" She asked. Sam slowly turned around and put his hands in his pockets. "I mean, you said it's late. And honestly I'm really tired and I am in no rush at all to get back to Fangtasia. And it's a really long drive too and I wouldn't want you to drive back all the way here by yourself. So could I just crash with you and have you drive me back tomorrow?"

"Umm," Sam gripped his keys. The proposition sounded so inviting. To have Celeste all to himself for an entire evening, how could he refuse that? However, Sam didn't trust himself with her. So much had happened between them, and even more didn't happen, not to mention she lost her memory-it wouldn't feel right-he would just be taking advantage of her. "I don't think that's a good idea." He said finally.

"Why not? I can see you're tired Sam and I don't want you driven to and from Shreveport, and it'll be dawn soon so most likely Eric and them are hitting the ground and Ginger is gonna be gone so I'll be locked out anyway. Please Sam, can't I just stay with you tonight, you can drive me back as soon we wake up."

Sam closed his eyes and mentally cursed at himself. He knew it was a bad idea, but she was right. The sun was coming up slowly but surely, and by the time they would get to Fangtasia they would have to turn around since she would be locked out. If he could, Sam would have kicked himself in the ass for letting the situation get like this, but nothing else could be done. He made a mental note for this to never happen again.

"Come on," He gestured for her to come next to him. "You can stay with me tonight."


	20. Chap 19: Sharp Ends

**A/N: ** Hello Everyone. This is probably my fastest update ever! As well as my shortest, but probably most dramatic, chapter ever! So yes, i do apologize for the length, it's about less than half of what my usual chapters are. Also, everyone is very much aware that this story is rate M (for it's obvious reasons), but I would like to make a special note on this one. **There is a reference to murder/suicide, so I would like everyone to take note of this and if I have offended anyone or if anyone finds it disturbing in any way shape or form, i had no intention of doing either. I am simply amping up the plot so to say. So please enjoy this chapter, I had a bit of fun writing it, and please please please review. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)**

**Chapter 19: Sharp Ends**

_Time had taken its toll_

_She had no place to go_

_They found her body resting by the river_

_I couldn't hear her cries_

_As she filled her veins with lies _

_Until she saw the light_

Eric shook in his seat, his hands clasped together so tightly that if he were still human, the circulation through them would have ceased. Pam stood in the corner of the room, by the door, watching him. She didn't know what to do, but with the recent events she knew he needed to know exactly what he was dealing with. She hesitantly approached him, not daring to get to close while he was in the state of what seemed to be pure rage and confusion. She folded her arms over her chest and looked at the ground; she knew what they had to do, even if Eric wouldn't say it.

"We cannot trust her Eric." Pam said. She glanced at him then back at the ground. "The evidence is undeniable. We have to get rid of her."

"She doesn't remember." Eric replied through clenched teeth.

"How do we know that?" Pam stepped forward. "How do we know that she hasn't been lying to us this entire time? Her presence here is putting all of us in jeopardy."

"We don't know that." Pam wasn't sure if he was talking about the lying or the risk part. Eric was stubborn, and she knew that better than anyone. And she also knew that his judgment could become clouded with matters of great importance to him. Pam took a deep breath out of habit and looked at him.

"What if the Magister comes here?" His eyes met hers, finally, but his gaze began to wander. "If the Magister comes back to Bon Temps and finds out that we are housing the most wanted human that every vampire is looking for . . .what are we going to do? We will all be implicated."

"We have to make sure that doesn't happen. We can't draw to much attention to ourselves as we have in the past." Eric drummed his fingers on the desk, trying to remain calm and collected.

"That's all you can say?" Pam was flabbergasted. "We have to get rid of her Eric!"

"I will not let Celeste go again!" With his vampire speed Eric shot up from his desk and slammed his fist on the surface, breaking it in half. "I cannot let her disappear again!"

"They have her on video Eric!" Pam shot back. "I showed it to you! You can see her face! You saw it with your own eyes that it was Celeste that killed the Sheriff of District 8! You cannot deny that." Pam calmed herself. Eric slumped back in his seat. Pam was right. The footage she showed him from the security cameras of the villa of the Sheriff of District 8 would stand against him if the Magister ever returned to Bon Temps and found out that they were holding Celeste. They were in deep shit, to say the least, and Eric Northman was torn. Was he going to hand the woman he had feelings for over to the Magister? Or risk everything protecting a wanted murderer of the most respected, and now deceased, vampire sheriff? There was so much to loose, but would Eric be willing to give it all up for a woman that didn't remember anything-or supposedly didn't remember anything? The only way to find out was to go to the source, and he knew exactly where she was.

* * *

Sam handed Celeste a hot cup of coffee and sat down next to her on the couch. She smiled as she received it and wrapped her cold clammy hands around the mug, immediately feeling the warmth of the steaming liquid. She inhaled the scent of nutmeg and hazelnut like it was some kind of delicate and rare flower, one to be cherished and preserved. Sam looked at her quizzically and grinned.

"You know I have more if you want some later?" Celeste looked at him out the corner of her eye and laughed lightly.

"I'm sorry, I must look really stupid right now. Worshipping coffee like this."

"Actually it's kinda entertaining. I never seen someone be so umm . . .intimate? With a cup of Joe."

Celeste laughed and set the cup down on the table. Suddenly their was a shift in the atmosphere. Rather, a shift in her. She could feel something boiling inside her, like a volcano just before it explodes. That momentary silence and intake of breath just before the waves of a tsunami come crashing and flooding the earth. Celeste knew the feeling to well.

"Sam," She turned to him. "You like me don't you?" Sam almost choked on the bit of coffee he had in his mouth. He set the mug down on the table and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, of course."

"I mean as more than a friend." Sam noticed the change in her tone. It wasn't the sweet and kind voice that he became familiar with, but a somewhat harsh and menacing one with a hint of urgency.

"Are you alright?" He took her hand in his, however, Celeste quickly snatched it away.

"Sam, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me."

"What are you talking about?" His brows furrowed together. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" Celeste got up.

"You want to do me a favor Sam?" She went to the door and slightly opened it. "Stay away from me, I don't want anyone else getting hurt." Celeste ran out the door as fast as she could. Sam jumped up from the couch and ran to the door; he could see nothing in the darkness, not the outline of her figure or anything. He yelled her name, and ran out there, looking frantically for her. But she was no where to be seen, she was gone.

Sam grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and was about to speed dial Sookie's number, until Eric Northman appeared in front of him out of thin air. Sam jumped back at the sudden appearance of the vampire.

"Where is Celeste?" Eric demanded, his teeth clenched and fangs protruding in full display to the shifter. A snarl formed on Sam's lips, his lips quivering and eyes fixed on the vampire.

"That is not your concern." In an instant, Sam found himself pressed against the outside of his trailer, Eric's forearm fixed firmly under his jaw, holding the shifter a few feet of the ground.

"Where is she? I will not ask again." He growled. Gasping for air, Sam clutched at Eric's arm, trying to push him away. Eric released some of the pressure long enough for Sam to drag out:

"I don't know. She ran off."

"What did you do?" Eric reapplied the pressure, thinking that Sam might have forced himself on her or made her do something she didn't want to.

"Nothing," Sam's face began to turn a light shade of blue and red. "We were talking and she ran!" His voice screeched out. Eric dropped him and looked away. Sam lie in the cold dirt, his face planted against the muck and gasped for air like a dying animal. He coughed severely and clutched his now bruised throat. Eric looked over his shoulder, down at him.

"If I ever see you near Celeste again, I will not be so lenient with you." And as quickly as Eric came, he was gone.

* * *

Malcolm looked at the Council with disdain. He could not believe what they were thinking. What they were planning.

"She still has much value to us Malcolm. You should not be so upset." One of the members said in the most sickening sincere voices he had ever heard.

"We were supposed to have nothing else to do with her!" He yelled.

"Watch your tone boy!" One of the older members boomed. "When you are in our presence you will speak to us with respect." The others nodded in approval.

"She completed her task, and you pushed aside her requests for you own gain. So that you may use her again. Have you no honor?"

"Celeste is one of a kind Malcolm. She is a commodity to whosoever she is with. I would expect you to understand that." Another spoke.

"But is Margo not as valuable than she?" There was momentary silence.

"Margo . . .is not as experienced, skilled, talented, strong, or tame as she. Celeste is a leader, and one of the strongest at that. Next to her, Margo is only a recruit. We are telling you first, because we thought you would be happy to hear this, considering your past relationship with her."

Malcolm could not bring himself to look at them. What they were planning on doing was . . .impossible. It was a fools errand. Up till now, Malcolm had always respected the Councils decisions, they were wise and experienced, but that was also a bad thing. They were getting much older, so their minds were not in the right place. He took a breath to calm himself and met their eyes again.

"What you plan on doing is man slaughter. There are only so few of us left and you want to put the rest of our forces in this impossible task?"

"It must be done to protect the human race."

"The human race?" Margo yelled. "If you go on with this more people will die than the world has ever seen! There will be no one left!"

"It is a small price we will have to pay."

"And how do you expect to get Celeste back to do this?" Malcolm barked. "I assume by her own free will?" He mocked. "She won't come within a thousand miles of this place."

"She will come." One of them spoke. "She has been long without medication. A few of our sources that have been keeping tabs on her have already seen the signs and symptoms of regression. Celeste will come. By her own free will. Because if she doesn't, she will die."

* * *

Eric looked up at the building that he was once so familiar with. He remembered the first time he entered, speeding past the cameras and dashing up the stairs. Even as he stood before the door he could remember exactly what he did: the way he knocked, how he stood, he could even remember the clothes he wore and the way it smelt through the door. But this time it was different. Eric reached for the door knob and turned it, it was unlocked. In one swift moment that seemed to happen in slow-motion, the door opened. It was dark, except for the candles that dotted the surfaces of the kitchen and living room, casting demeaning shadows across the floors and walls, dancing and flickering over the surfaces.

Eric stepped in, closing the door silently behind him. In the center of the living room it was dark, minus the flickering candles that dotted the side of the walls, and inn the center of the center, he saw the too familiar white fur, half-circle, rotating seat - the enclosed back facing him. He couldn't believe that after a year, the apartment had been untouched. Eric silently approached, stepping lightly on the hard wood floor.

"Celeste." He spoke her name slowly, afraid that she would fun off. The white fur chair slowly rotated around, the squeaking of the wheels making the only sound in the empty house. At the sight of her, Eric took a deep breath. Her face was pale, and slightly sunken in. Her hair was in a disarray and the clothes she wore, which were dark blue jeans and a grey tank top now, were tattered and worn-out. Her breathing came out haggard and struggled and in her right hand, dangling over the arm rest of the chair like a broken limb, was a small silver Taurus 44 Magnum Revolver.

Eric took a step closer, his hand reached out toward the gun. "Celeste," He spoke her name gently. "What are you doing?" Silent tears streamed down her face.

"I can't do it anymore Eric." The gun flicked in his direction. He regressed slightly but continued with caution.

"Celeste." He said warningly, taking slow and gentle steps toward her. "Give me the gun." More tears flowed from her eyes. Eric was terrified for her. He had no idea what was going through her head.

"I can't." She moaned out. Her hands started to shake and her breathing became more struggled. "I can't pretend anymore. I can't do this anymore." Eric was just within hands reach of the gun.

"Celeste, give me the gun." He begged. "Give it to me." Blood began to pool in his eyes, but he made no attempt to wipe it away. "Give me the gun, Celeste. We can talk about this."

"No." Before Eric could blink the gun was no longer directed at him, but at her right temple. Celeste closed her eyes, tears pouring from them as her sobs filled the silence. "I cant do it anymore."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and Please Review :)**


	21. Chap 20: The Other Side

**Chapter 20: The Other Side**

_I just can't keep living this way_

_So starting today_

_I'm breaking out of this cage._

_I'm standing up, I'ma face my demons_

_I'm manning up, I'ma hold my ground_

_I've had enough, now I'm so fed up_

_Time to put my life back together right now!_

Eric didn't know how it happened, but it did. The atmosphere changed as the candles flickered and shadows danced on white walls as menacing demons rave around an inferno of darkness. In the end he knew that Pam was right, he had to get rid of her. Eric Northman had to destroy the one thing that . . .that . . .he laughed awkwardly at himself. He didn't even know what "that" was, only that something inside him, something that had been suppressed and hidden for nearly his entire life span, was beginning to crawl out from under its cave of darkness and experience the light that had been denied it for so long. Those thoughts and hundreds more riddled through his mind in a fraction of a second as the tip of an extremely sharp wooden stake pressed against his lower abdomen. The hand attached to it gripped it tightly, keeping their eyes fixed on the ground. Eric's gaze followed the hand, which led to an lightly freckled arm, up a broad shoulder, continuing up a thick neck, and eventually landing on a strong and masculine face. The man was the stake shoved his hand into Erics' shoulder, grinding him into the wall behind gritted teeth.

Past the complete stranger two other people could be seen, women. One kneeled before Celeste, holding her head in her hands and cursing to herself. The other stood next to the chair, the Revolver in her hand. Eric's already protruding fangs, the rigidity in his body, the tension in his face, his primitive like stance, all relaxed at the sight of Celeste, her eyes closed, her head resting in the strangers hands. The instinct to kill and murder was replaced with fear and anxiety as Celeste's body went slack.

"She's not going to last long." The woman kneeling said. "She won't last another day without medicine." She looked up at the woman standing, her voice began to shake. "She's not going to make it if we don't do anything."

"We don't have that much left Aurelia." The man, pinning Eric down replied. "It's hard enough just for us to make it last." And with a glance over his shoulder toward them, Eric took his opportunity. He grabbed the hand connected to the stake and rotated it 180 degrees and clasped his free arm around the mans throat. Eric pressed the man close against him, leaving his hands immobile and causing him to gasp for air at his grip.

"Get. Out." He snarled, accenting his point by crushing the mans throat even more. The woman standing glanced over at the one kneeling, she hadn't even acknowledged what was happening to her comrade.

"We can help her." She said, without turning to face him. "We can help her Eric, but first you have to let him go. I know what you're feeling, and I understand it. But we can't do anything if you kill him. We are here to help her Eric, and we are here to speak with you as well." She stood up and turned around. "But first you need to let him go, and move Celeste to the bed."

Eric sat back reluctantly against the windowsill in Celeste's bedroom, watching the three humans that emerged in the house suddenly examine her . . .he assumed that's what they were doing anyway. His foot tapped rapidly on the ground, impatience, curiosity, anxiety, and millions of other emotions running through him. The three humans stood around Celeste, who was passed out on the bed. The human Aurelia, who had spoken to him earlier, sat beside Celeste, her hand pressed against her forehead for a long moment. The male stood on the other side of the bed, and the other woman at the end of the bed. Eric could see that the trio was very uneasy and concerned, he could also tell they meant her no harm.

After an agonizing millennium of silence, Aurelia cleared her throat.

"Well?" The other woman asked, taking a step closer. Aurelia stood up rubbed the back of her neck. "How bad is she?" The woman pressed.

"She won't last another day, maybe not even another twelve hours. It's amazing she's survived this long."

"It's been two years," The man said. "What would you expect?"

Eric stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced at Celeste then at the other three. "Who are you people? What are you doing here? How do you know Celeste?"

"You ask a lot of questions." The other woman said. She dropped her head and sighed. "But you deserve answers."

"Should we really be doing this?" The man stepped next to her.

"We've been watching her ever since she left." Aurelia spoke. "And we've come to know a lot of people she has come in contact with. I believe that Eric Northman is one of the few people, let alone vampire, she trusts. Besides, we have seen his affection for her . . .he deserves to know."

"Know what?" Eric took a step closer. Aurelia looked at him, then Celeste, then back at him.

"You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into Eric. Celeste Monroe, as far as the entire world knows, doesn't exist."

* * *

"It all started five years ago," Georgina, the other woman, started. All of them sat in the living room, none of them sitting in the white fur chair. "The government was creating a new drug, one that supposedly cured all different types of cancers and all different stages."

"But it was top secret." Harrison, the man, interjected. "No one knew about it: the public, the House of Representatives, the Senate, not even the vice president knew. I guess you could say it was like the modern day version of the Manhattan Project, only instead of creating atomic bombs they were making a cure for one of the biggest medical problems in our history."

"Once the scientists that had been hired by the government made is sustainable," Aurelia continued where Georgina left off. "they got 15,000 subjects from all over the world; all different walks of life, background, ethnicity, and age. But they all had one thing in common: they had cancer. The government collected all of them and took them to some place underground that couldn't be found by satellites."

"Once there, the first week was pure evaluations," Harrison continued. Eric leaned in closer, trying to make sense of what they were saying. "seeing what kind of cancer you had, how far along you were, asking about past treatments, what stage the cancer was in, how long you had to live . . .and a lot more. The second week they administered the drug, the third week everyone was doing great: people were getting better, and in some cases, the cancer was completely gone."

"So the drug was a success?" Eric looked at the three of them. They all shared glances and swallowed hard.

"It was a disaster." Georgina replied. "By the fourth week, horrible side-effects began to show. Excessive vomiting, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, seizures, violent outbursts, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, brain hemorrhaging, even falling into permanent comas, temperatures of 120 degrees F. If you can name it, it happened to someone."

"Out of the 15,000 that were tested, only seven percent survived, almost 1,050 people. That seven percent, would never be the same. And some wished they had died like the other ninety-three percent, then continue having the life they would later be forced to live. Harrison, Georgina, Celeste, and I . . .we're all a part of that seven percent."

"So you're telling me Celeste had cancer?" Eric's mind was like scrambled eggs, to say the least.

"Yes." Harrison answered. "All of us did."

"So what happened after that?" He asked. The trio shared glances with each other and shook their heads.

"I think Celeste should tell you." Aurelia stood up and went to the bedroom.

* * *

_To say that Celeste Abigail Monroe was on the brink of death would be an understatement. She was on the brink of destruction. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the candle lit darkness of her old apartment, but standing, in the middle of a street: Grayson St. There was nothing on that street, not a sign, a light post, or even a row of houses-only darkness. But in front of her, there was one house, with the windows drawn up and a mellow light cascading on the front lawn. She recognized the house, the old bent-out-of-shape silver mail box, with the red flag in the air. She recognized the white door, with the broken door knob, and the wreath of flowers - fake of course- with a small toad glued to the inner bottom part of it, horribly stapled to the upper part of the door._

_Before she knew it, she was at the door, pushing it open with the pads of her fingers. The house was empty, as always, but it felt even more so; no one had lived in the house for years, and the only memories it held were those of pain and carnage. Even as Celeste walked through the house, she could not recall any good moment. Her constant need for care broke and beat at the family. And Celeste knew that everything was her fault. Just as the thoughts of blame and anger filled her head the lights in the house went out, all except for one; upstairs. Celeste slowly went up the stairs, her hand hovering over the banister. At the top, she could see where the light came from, a room at the end of the hall. She walked towards it, the door was cracked open, she went inside. Her eyes shut immediately, a bright light like the sun become unbearable, but as quickly as it showed, it started to die down. Hesitantly she opened her eyes, seeing only white, but as she blinked the color began to fade, and in the center of the room she was no longer in a room, but in meadow. A meadow that was filled with flowers and a small pond, and near that pond she saw someone. Covering her eyes from the bright sunlight, she went over to the person and sat down next to them._

"_There aren't any fish in this pond." The person said. It was a man, holding a fishing rod. He had on worn overalls and a large wicker hat on, hiding his face._

"_Then why are you fishing?" Celeste looked in the pond._

"_Because my sister once told me that there were, and if I caught one she would give me a hundred dollars."_

"_So she lied to you." Celeste replied confused._

"_Maybe. Maybe not. But that same sister also told me, that if I believe in something enough, then I can make it happen. So, I believe that there are fish in this pond, and I'm gonna catch one."_

"_That's crazy." Celeste scuffed._

"_She said the same thing." The man took the fishing rod out of the water and at the end of it, was the smallest fish she had ever seen. "So now, she owes me a hundred dollars." He grinned. Celeste looked at in awe and started laughing. He had proven his sister wrong. He took his hate off, set it down next to him, and looked at Celeste. "My sister was the dumbest smart person I ever knew, but she meant the world to me." Water began to glaze Celeste's eyes as she looked at the man. "I know that she is in a lot of pain right now," he took her hand in his. Tears began to spill over and Celeste sobbed. "and I know that she blames herself for everything, but I need her to know, it's not her fault. There was nothing she could do." Celeste broke down in front of the man, and he eagerly embraced her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Celeste, it's not your fault. There was nothing you can do."_

"_I-I'm so sorry Nicolas!" She said between cries of pain. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you! I'm sorry I didn't protect you!" Celeste clutched her brother with all her might, taking in his warmth._

"_You couldn't protect me, Celeste. It was just a matter of time." Nicolas sat her up and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Mom and Dad are so proud of you, Celeste. You did everything you could for all of us; they are so honored to have you as a daughter, and I am so happy to be able to call you my sister." He silenced her sobs with a quick embrace and helped her stand up so that he may take her for a walk._

"_Where am I Nicolas?" She asked. He glanced up and pointed at the sky._

"_You're in the In-Between. You're not dead, but your not alive. Your stuck somewhere in the middle."_

"_In the middle." Celeste said. "So this place," She waved her hand around the meadow. "It isn't real?" She looked up at him._

"_It's very real. Do you not recognize it? This is the meadow that we went to every summer when we visited Grandma: this meadow was her backyard."_

"_Every summer. That was until I got sick."_

"_Yeah."_

"_So, If this is the In-Between," Celeste turned so that she was facing him. "Then what are you doing here? Why aren't you burning in the sun?" Nicolas stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at her._

"_I chose to be here, and why I don't burn in the sun? I don't know. I'm here because I knew that one day, no matter how long it would be, you come here and ask for my help. Call it sadistic, call it crazy, but I'm right so far. And besides, it beats being in Hell."_

"_What do you mean I'd ask for your help?" Celeste was confused._

"_I've been watching over you ever since I faced the true death. I have seen every single thing that you have gone through, and I have been keeping tabs on everyone you have come in contact with."_

"_So you're like my Guardian Angle." Celeste smiled._

"_No." Her smile immediately disappeared, causing him to smile. "Guardian Angles can interfere with your life, me, I'm just a spectator. And there is something that you need to know Sister." Suddenly, his expression hardened, and the gentle face that she was so familiar with became strange and serious to her. Even when her brother was alive, he never one to be serious, so to see him that way, frightened Celeste to say the least._

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**AN:** Hope you enjoyed that one, will update ASAP, please please review! Thanks :)


	22. Chap 21: A Plan

**AN:** Hello my wonderful readers! I am sooooo very sorry that it has taken me so long to update :( things have been crazy hectic since school started and it's hard to find the time to write (a descent chapter anyway), soo i sincerely apologize for the delay, I will try to get them out whenever I can, so please please please just be patient with me. I will stop apologizing now and let you get on with what you really want to do (which is read the latest chapter!)

**Chapter 21: A Plan**

"_What do you mean a war?" Celeste replied, bewildered and confused. Nicolas said he had something very important to tell her and that it was mandatory that she knew, so that she could change it. There were a lot of things she wished she could change: that she never had cancer, that she could have been there to protect him from Margo, that she destroyed the VAIN Organization when she had the chance, instead of running like a scared rabbit after the murder of her family. _

_Her life had been anything but normal, and she wished there was some form of normalcy in it . . .but there wasn't. Ever since she was diagnosed with CNSC, central nervous system cancer, which attacked the tissue in her brain and spinal cord, Celeste had a hard life. Because of the cancer she couldn't do much with her body, it was a challenge for her to walk, to eat, to do anything. She hated herself because it; the entire family had to adapt and change because of it, and her twin brother, who she cherished like the most prized jewel, took it the hardest. _

_Nicolas blamed himself for everything that happened to her, and wished that he had the cancer instead of her, but more than likely, if the roles had switched, Celeste would have wished the same thing for herself. He suffered along side her, and would never leave her when she had to have surgery or chemotherapy. Nicolas remembered the time after she had chemo; her head was wrapped in a white material, and she looked like the life had been completely sucked out of her: the color and glow from her skin was gone and replaced with dark circles and sunken in eyes. That entire night he stayed with her, against his parents words, and watched after her, rushing her to the bathroom when vomit began to build inside of her (one of the side effects of chemo). That night he didn't get any sleep, but he didn't care. Celeste was fragile and weak, he was more than willing to stay there. And when she fell asleep, he would look down at her and the familiar taste of salt water would run down his cheeks and to the corner of his mouth. Nicolas would never cry in front of Celeste, their mother and father did it enough; someone needed to be strong for her._

"_It's the Council." He replied. Nicolas led her to a large rock in the middle of the meadow and sat her down on it, sitting across from her on the grass Indian style. "The Council is planning a complete extermination of vampires across the globe . . .and anyone affiliated with them."_

_Celeste shook her head in confusion. "This can't be possible. If they plan on killing off all vampires and anyone affiliated with them, then that means-"_

"_Yes." He answered. "VAIN would be destroyed to, and anyone involved."_

"_B-but that can't be. Why would the Council do that? To destroy nearly half of the human race and then themselves, it doesn't make any sense!"_

"_To them it makes perfect sense. Once half of the humans and vampires are gone there will be no need for VAIN anymore. The Government will stop funding them and eventually people will be sent to kill the remaining people of the organization. It will be like it never happened."_

_The gears began to turn in Celeste's head. So the Council was just trying to beat the Government to the punch, killing off their own before the big guns could get involved. After the vampires and humans are killed off, it would become survival of the fittest: every man for himself. The government was so involved with VAIN that they have profiles on every person in the organization: their powers, the relatives, likes and dislikes, strong points, weak points . . .how to kill them. Celeste had no doubt in her mind that when it came to her that they were going to get Margo and kill them both together, since their fields never worked when the other was around for some unknown reason._

"_So what am I suppose to do?" Celeste asked in defeat. "How am I supposed to stop something as major as this?" Nicolas took her hands in his and gripped them. He gave her a gentle smile and kissed her knuckles._

"_You already are sister, by resisting them."_

"_I'm not sure if that's going to be enough." She looked down at the ground._

"_When we were kids you always told me that if I believe in something strong enough, then it can happen." Nicolas gently grabbed her chin and lifted her head up to meet his eyes. "You have always been strong Celeste, even since we were seven and you killed a spider in my room I was deathly terrified of."_

_Celeste laughed at the sudden memory, remembering her brother jumping up and down on his bed in sheer terror while pointing in the corner of his room at a spider the size of a quarter. She ran in with one of their mothers red pumps and smashed it against the spider, later grabbing tissue and picking it up before flushing it down the toilet._

"_The point is, you don't believe in yourself as much as others do. Now maybe that's because your being modest, or you don't see your full potential, but I see it. I've watched you turn into an independent, strong, reliable woman who loves and cares for everything around her, and wants to protect that." Nicolas ran his thumb across her cheek lovingly. "Now you just need to see that for yourself."_

* * *

"What is this?" Eric rolled the see-through orange prescription bottle between his thumb and forefinger. There was no label, only direction: take two times a day with a lot of food; stand for five minutes after consumption. Harrison snatched it out of his hands as his fingers started to turn the white lid to open the bottle.

"You don't need to know." Harrison clutched it in his hand. He scowled at the vampire, his chin jutted forward and eyes narrowed at him. Georgina slapped him on the back of the head and took the bottle from him, putting it in a small backpack Eric hadn't noticed. Harrison rubbed the back of his head and grumbled childishly, saying a few minor curses at the woman.

"It's the medication administered to us during the drug trials; it's the only thing keeping us alive." Georgina sat at the edge of the bed, next to Aurelia. Harrison grumpily leaned against the closed bedroom door. Eric noticed him roll his eyes but ignored it, he figured this was a very sensitive matter.

"The secret one." Eric nodded his head.

"Yeah." Aurelia huffed. She grabbed a similar prescription bottle out of her pocket and rolled it back and forth between her fingertips. Her gaze was fixed on the small white capsules on the inside, as few as there were, and her corners of her lip curled in disgust. Her eyes closed momentarily, then she passed the bottle to Georgina, who placed it in the backpack. "I hate this shit." She scratched the side of her head out of agitation.

"We do too." Harrison crossed his arms over his chest. Georgina's grip on the backpack tightened.

"What did you mean, that the drug is the only thing keeping you alive?" Eric looked at them.

"This drug is the only thing keeping the cancer away." Harrison replied.

"If we stop taking it, then it comes back, worse than ever . . .stronger than ever." Georgina added. "The cancer never completely disappears, it just gets stored and locked away; then over time, it builds, and grows."

"Think of it as a junk file cabinet." Aurelia said. "Random shit goes in, then a lock is always placed on it. Over time more and more shit gets put in and that lock keeps it all in the cabinet. We're the file cabinets, the cancer is the shit, and the medicine is the lock. The medicine keeps the cancer at bay so that is has no effect on us, but it can't prevent it from growing or spreading through out our bodies."

"That makes no sense." Eric replied. "How can they give you something that doesn't work? That doesn't solve the original problem?"

"Because it had a different side-effect that no one could have predicted, that's why. And the scientists are afraid that if they do anything to alter it, then that side-effect will disappear." Harrison said.

"So I guess you could say we're like ticking time bombs." Georgina chuckled. It wasn't out of humor but out of the depressing truth about it. When they stopped taking the drug the lock would come off, and it would only be a matter of time until they died.

"That means Celeste has been taking it this entire time?" Eric stood up and went over to the catatonic girl, looking down at her.

"No," Harrison answered. "she's gone eight months without it. That's why she is like this."

"What else do you know?" Eric combed his fingers lightly through her hair; he could hear her struggled breathing.

"It depends," Aurelia said, "what do you want to know?"

"Who's Margo?" He asked without looking at her. The three foreigners glanced at each other, silence filled the room.

"Margo . . ." Georgina walked over to the bed and looked at Celeste, her face filled with remorse and undeniable pain. She looked at Eric. "Margo was Celeste's fiancé."

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AN: Thank you thank you thank you for reading and **please please please review!**


	23. Chap 22: Mercy

**Sorry about the overly extended hiatus, it was in no way premeditated. School has been crazy, writers block has gotten much worse, and I find my time with my beautiful laptop has been diminishing quickly by the second since other things require my attention of late. So again I apologize. **

**Thank you everyone who has shown their support and reviewed thus far, i very much appreciate it. At times when I feel like completely giving this entire escapade up, i look at the reviews and find motivation every time, so thank you so very much for keeping me on track.**

**Chapter 22: Mercy**

_I don't know what this is but you got me good_

_just like you knew you would._

_I don't know what you do, but you do it well_

_I'm under your spell._

_You got me begging you for mercy,_

_Why wont you release my?_

_You got me begging you for mercy,_

_Why won't you release me?_**  
**

"Then, why-"

"We don't know why." Aurora interrupted Eric, answering his question. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Celeste. "Why they always try to kill each other whenever they get the chance, we don't know. . ."

"Speak for yourself." Harrison scuffed.

"You know I'd be nice if you didn't act like such a prick all the time, Harrison." She spat back. "Not all of us try to get into everyones' business, especially when it has absolutely nothing to do with us."

Harrison gave her the middle finger with a fake smile and left the bedroom, going to the living room. "Such an asshole." Aurora muttered. Georgina handed her a warm washcloth and left the room, leaving Aurora, Eric, and Celeste alone. Eric watched as Aurora dabbed Celestes' forehead with the cloth, picking up small droplets of sweat and cooling her at the same time. The room was quiet excluding Celestes' heavy breathing.

"I would tell you, Eric. But then Celeste would kill me." Aurora sat back and smiled at the weak woman in the bed. "Besides, I think you should hear it from her. She's a good story teller anyway."

"Vampire blood, does it help?" Eric asked suddenly. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then back at Celeste. She let out a deep breath and grabbed a cup of water on the night stand Georgina got for her and put it to Celestes' lips. Slightly opening her mouth, she let in a few drops, tilted her head back, then closed her mouth.

"Only temporarily; it's the only reason she's been able to survive this long without the medicine. It doesn't cure it Eric . . .nothing can."

A thought came to Eric Northmans' mind, a simple thought, but even the simplest things can be the most significant. _Would_, Eric thought, _would it be cured if I turned her? Would she thrive if I drank her dry and replaced her blood with my own? If I spent a day with her underground, waiting for her to transform into my child? My lover? My Celeste?_

Eric kept this thought to himself. That's when he noticed it was suddenly extremely quiet. Aurora had stopped breathing. Something was stirring in the air, then, like the entire world was dropped on him, he was at Celestes' side, his hand gently holding hers. It was warm.

"She's waking up." Aurora smiled. A silent tear ran down her cheek from the sheer joy she was experiencing. "She's waking up." Seconds later Georgina and Harrison were in the room, standing above the bed, looking down at Celeste. Eric could see her eyes moving under her lids, searching, searching. Her fingers twitched in my hand, which began to grip it slightly. She was very weak.

"Celeste." I spoke out, resting my other hand on top of her head gently. "Celeste, it is time to wake up." He continued. Nothing happened. Her eyes continued to search in darkness. I tried again, hoping my voice would awaken her. "Ms. Monroe, I believe you and I had a deal." I said. I could feel the others watching, but didn't care. "You swore that you would have me, begging on my knees, at your mercy. But you're a fool you know that? You won all along."

Aurora looked at him.

"You've had me at your mercy since you walked into Fangtasia, you had me begging since that little stunt with Bill Compton. You've dominated me from the very beginning, but you were to stupid to realize it." He could feel blood swelling in the corners of his eyes. He felt her grip tighten in his hand. Eric searched her face for some kind of acknowledgement, but there was none. "Do you have any idea of what you've done to me? The year I spent without you; not seeing your face; not hearing your voice; not feeling your touch; clutching at the memories and the picture of you in my mind was torture, agony . . .I wanted to face the true death. I swore that when I got you back I would never let you go." A bloody tear ran down my face, followed by another, then another. "Here I am, Celeste, I'm right here. I'm not letting you go; do you understand that? You can try to run away, you can to kill me, but I'll never let you go. I-I-I . . ." _I what? _Eric thought. _I . . .I don't know what I feel. Look at me, making a fool of myself in front of these humans. What am I doing? _

Eric stood up and turned to leave the room, but a tight grip on his hand kept him in place. He stood there, his feet steeled to the ground, his body suddenly tense. He felt the fingers from the hand gripping his tickle the inside of his wrist, calling his attention. Like a fixed statue, Eric struggled to turn around, but managed to crane his neck to look at the hand holding his. It was warm. He followed up the arm and finally found her. Celeste looked at him with those gorgeous big brown eyes, and a thin smile.

"Eric." She said is name and his legs turned to water. He turned to her, taking one step before descending to his knees.


End file.
